Cafaggiolo castle in Mugello has been a UNESCO heritage site since 2013. Cafaggiolo is usually also designated as a villa. The recognition was given together with the Trebbio castle and the Demidoff villa and park in Pratolino. In fact the Unesco certificate is related to castles, villas and Medici parks of Tuscany. The Mugello can boast 3 and is a small record by itself. Some time ago we already talked about the castle of Trebbio. Cafaggiolo castle in Mugello is the theme of this blog of Mugello & Tuscany.
The Villa di Cafaggiolo in Mugello was one of Lorenzo il Magnifico’s favorite residences. It was built by the Medici archistar Michelozzo Michelozzi already active in Mugello. In the same years, in fact, Michelozzo finds himself working on the restructuring of the nearby Bosco ai Frati. Other buildings in the area where Michelozzo worked are the Logge Medicee and the church of Sant’Andrea in Barberino.
Naturally, the commission of the construction of Cafaggiolo took place at the hands of Cosimo the Elder. The appearance was different from the current one. There were a drawbridge and a moat, but the whole structure seemed refined by a more residential style. Behind the villa, a vast wild forest with walls has remained intact. It was intended for the leisurely hunts of the members of the Medici family.
The villa was the meeting place of the economic-cultural cream of the Renaissance period. The villa or castle of Cafaggiolo in Mugello was above all the residence of the summer and autumn stays of the powerful lords of Florence.
At Cafaggiolo castle in Mugello Luigi Pulci declaimed his Morgante. Lorenzo the Magnificent composed rhymes, sonnets and carnival songs. One of his most famous compositions related to the Mugello is “La Nencia da Barberino“. Poliziano, Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola and other masters of humanism spent an abundance of time here. in 1515 Pope Leo X Medici, son of the Magnificent, spent some time at the family castle. As a child he used to stay on vacation in Cafaggiolo with Dad Lorenzo and mom Clarice Orsini. There were 2 other popes of the Medici family after Leone X: Clement VII and Leone XI. However of the last 2 there is no evidence of their stay at the Cafaggiolo castle in Mugello.
Grand Duke of Tuscany Francesco and his lover and then wife Bianca Cappello spent happy days there. However, at least an atrocious fact of blood also occurred. The killing of Leonora or Dianora of Toledo and her lover Bernardo Antinori by her husband. It was Pietro de ‘Medici, brother of the Grand Duke Francesco and cousin of the same Dianora. It seems that in 1576 Pietro himself strangled Dianora while Antinori died in prison.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the production of ceramics was started in the premises of the villa. These precious ceramics and majolica are found in museums and private collections all over the world. Some excavations have decided to place the presence of the furnace inside the Manica Lunga. This is a building of great value adjacent to the Cafaggiolo castle in Mugello.
Today Cafaggiolo castle in Mugello after various vicissitudes is about to experience another interesting adventure. We propose to talk about the new smashing project of Cafaggiolo castle in Mugello soon. So keep following this blog for more news about the new life of Cafaggiolo castle in Mugello.