SYNOPSIS:

THE VILLA MEDICI AT FIESOLE WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST RENAISSANCE

VILLAS BUILT BY THE MEDICI FAMILY. IT IS PERHAPS THE FIRST TRUE VILLA
IN THE ROMAN STYLE TO BE BUILT DURING THE RENAISSANCE, CLOSELY
FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES FOR VILLA DESIGN LAID OUT BY ALBERTI,
WHO IN TURN TOOK MUCH OF HIS WORK FROM THE ROMAN AUTHOR
VITRUVIUS. THE DESIGNER OF THE VILLA IS UNKNOWN. IT HAS BEEN
TRADITIONALLY CREDITED TO MICHELOZZO MICHELOZZI, THOUGH RECENT
RESEARCH HAS SUGGESTED THAT ALBERTI HIMSELF MAY HAVE BEEN THE
DESIGNER.

THE VILLA QUICKLY BECAME A FAVORED RETREAT OF THE MEDICI FAMILY,

AS WELL AS MANY OTHER FLORENTINE ELITE. IT WAS PROBABLY THE SITE
OF COSIMO DE MEDICI'S PLATONIC ACADEMY, A GATHERING OF HUMANIST
SCHOLARS WHO MET TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF POLITICS, SCIENCE AND THE
ARTS