One can reasonably argue that the idea of a country home—complete with orchards, fish ponds, parterres, and fountains—derives from the Ancient Romans, who believed that in the countryside one could refresh and reinvigorate both the body and the soul. On this six-day tour through Tuscany, we too hope to find that same refreshment as we wander through landscapes that are both beautiful and sublime.

Our tour traces the evolution of the Italian villa from Renaissance times, when princes, cardinals, and bankers consciously modeled themselves after their Roman forbearers, into the 20th century when ex pats from England and America arrived with deep pockets and carefully honed aesthetics. In all, we plan to visit a dozen villas, many of them privately owned, and each uniquely beautiful with elegant interiors, sweeping vistas, orderly parterres, clipped topiary, autumn colors, and the gentle patter of water on mossy fountains.

We begin with three nights in Florence at the lovely 5-star Bernini Palace Hotel.  Then on to Siena for two nights at another stunning hotel, the Grand Hotel Continental.  The tour finishes, conveniently, at the Rome Airport Hilton.

Collaborating with me is Nancy Leszcznyski, a garden architect and professor of landscape design at NYU’s campus in Florence. For the past twenty-three years she has lived with her husband and son on their own beautiful property in Tuscany, a region of Italy that is, quite literally, her own backyard.

Our Itinerary:

Monday, October 14: Afternoon walking tour of Florence that includes a thorough look at Benozzo Gozzoli’s fresco in the Medici Riccardi Palace:  a wrap-around depiction of the Journey of the Magi, with various Medici princes tagging along. In the distant hills one can pick out dozens of their country villas.  It’s a great introduction to 15th-century Tuscany and to the brilliance of the Medicis.

Group dinner.  Bernini Palace Hotel.

Tuesday, October 15: We begin the day with Nancy’s introductory lecture on the Tuscan garden, and then head out to visit two landmark villas that belonged to the Medici. Their villa in Fiesole is often referred to as the first “true” Renaissance villa.  The Villa Il Trebbio, in the Apennines north of Florence, is one of the oldest. Its hortus conclusus, and by that I mean its walled garden, derives from medieval monasteries and is one of a handful that still exist.

Group lunch.  Bernini Palace Hotel.

Wednesday, October 16: Moving forward through the centuries, we start the day with a visit to Le Balze, an early 20th-century garden designed by noted English architect Cecil Pinsent and a fine example of the Renaissance Revival.  Nearby are the villa and gardens of Gamberaia, which Edith Wharton, during her travels through Italy, described as “the most perfect example” of grandeur on an intimate scale.  We finish the day at Villa La Pietra.  One of the grandest villas in Florence, it was previously the home of British scholar and aesthete Harold Acton.  Upon his death, he bequeathed the property to New York University, where Nancy teaches landscape design and the history of the Italian villa. That lucky gal!

Group lunch. Bernini Palace Hotel.

Thursday October 17: Morning departure from Florence to the hinterlands of Tuscany. Tour of the private villa and winery of Geggiano, with lunch to follow in the villa’s grand and gloriously preserved dining room. Arrive in Siena in the afternoon.  Late afternoon and evening free.

Group lunch. Grand Hotel Continental, Siena. 

Friday, October 18: Morning tour of important monuments in Siena.  Afternoon visits to the Villa Cetinale, a baroque cardinal’s retreat where the aesthetics of Bernini are applied to landscape design.  Then on to the nearby Castello di Celsa with design elements drawn from medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and 20th-century English garden traditions.  A one-stop history of garden design.

Group lunch.  Grand Hotel Continental, Siena.

Saturday, October 19: On route to Rome, we stop at two of the most important gardens in Italy, starting with the Farnese villa at Caprarola, described by art historian Jakob Burckhardt as “perhaps the highest example of restrained majesty which secular architecture has achieved.”  After lunch, we visit the small but perfect landscape of Villa Lante, a suitable final note to a wonderful collection of beautiful outdoor spaces.

Group lunch.  Rome Airport Hilton.

Sunday, October 20: The tour ends with breakfast