Florence, opens for the first time to the public the historic Garden of Villa La Quiete, wanted by the Electress Palatine

At the conclusion of the Centennial of the University of Florence, the historic Garden of Villa La Quiete, an extraordinary example of the gardens created by the Medici family, opens to the public for the first time. Restored thanks to a major intervention by the University of Florence, the garden was created at the behest ofElectress Palatine Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici in the first half of the eighteenth century and is part of the monumental complex of Villa La Quiete, a favorite residence of grand duchesses and princesses of the Medici family, which also housed for centuries, from the seventeenth century to almost all of the twentieth century, the Conservatorio delle Signore Montalve, a lay congregation dedicated to the education of young Florentine noblewomen. Today the Villa is owned by the Region of Tuscany and is under concession to the University of Florence, which manages it through the University Museum System.

The opening to the public was celebrated with an institutional ceremony attended by Rector Alessandra Petrucci, Tuscany Region President Eugenio Giani, Florence Mayor Sara Funaro and David Caramelli, president of the University Museum System.

It is the result of a redevelopment funded by the Ministry of Culture through European funds from the #NextGenerationEU program (PNRR - National Recovery and Resilience Plan). The University of Florence, thanks to its participation in the call for proposals “Proposals for the restoration and enhancement of historic parks and gardens,” obtained funding of about 1.8 million euros. In addition to the restoration of the botanical heritage, the work involved architectural elements and the securing of the tour route.

During the inauguration, the video Villa La Quiete. The rediscovered garden, directed by Edoardo Zucchetti and available on the University’s YouTube channel. The event concluded with Natura Sonora, a concert by the University Orchestra conducted by Maestro Gabriele Centorbi, which featured music by Beethoven, Salieri, Händel, Sibelius and Strauss, an initiative of the University’s Entertainment Area curated by Teresa Megale.

“The opening of the garden to the public,” said Rector Alessandra Petrucci, “is the result of the redevelopment and enhancement work that the University has been conducting for years with regard to this extraordinary cultural asset that is Villa La Quiete, a monumental complex, a treasure trove of works of art and a precious historical testimony to a significant educational experience, ahead of its time. The event symbolically closes the events organized by the University of Florence for its 100th anniversary and encourages us in one of the University’s most topical missions, that of the dissemination of knowledge and culture.”

“The restoration and opening of the Garden,” commented President of the University’s Museum System David Caramelli, “constitute another important tile in the work of restoring Villa La Quiete, which enriches with meaning and further enhances the system of Medici villas in our territory. The enhancement of our historic residences, alongside the exhibition collections, is a commitment that the Athenaeum Museum System is pursuing with conviction.”

On Sunday, May 18, on International Museum Day, the garden will be exceptionally open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with free admission. Until the end of October, Villa La Quiete and its garden will be open every weekend with paid guided tours, by reservation, with a thematic itinerary dedicated to the Electress Palatine. The story of the Villa and its garden also continues online: since July 16, the podcast “La Quiete,” dedicated to the history of the Villa and its Garden, has been available on Spotify and YouTube.

All info about Villa La Quiete and its Garden at www.sma.unifi.it

Florence, opens for the first time to the public the historic Garden of Villa La Quiete, wanted by the Electress Palatine

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