The villa itself is rich in history. During the Renaissance the Strozzis competed with the Medici for riches and power. In 1489, to show his great power, Filippo Strozzi commissioned Benedetto Da Maiano and Simone del Pollaiolo to build Palazzo Strozzi in the centre of Florence, and it became one of the most significant examples of Italian architecture of the Renaissance. You can still admire the Villa Strozzi on Via Pisana, surrounded by a wonderful public park.
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Villa Strozzi-Riccardi in Settignano has belonged to the same family for six centuries, with records from 1379 listing the Strozzis as the owners. And the villa was linked to a popular uprising of the fourteenth century, the Tumulto dei Ciompi, with mediaeval tyrant Mariano degli Albizi going into hiding at the villa.
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In the second half of the sixteenth century, Count Piero di Carlo of Andrea Strozzi made the changes that gave the villa its present appearance. At the beginning of the eighteenth century the Chapel was built, replacing a smaller one inside the Villa, and it was decorated with ceramics by Della Robbia (since lost).
In 1871 after the death of the Marquis Carlo Riccardi Strozzi, the villa was inherited by part of the Strozzi family in Mantua. After the death of the last member of the Strozzi family (Marquis Uberto) the entire property was uninhabited for many years, and has only recently been restored to its former splendour.
Sitting at the bottom of the hill of Settignano, south-east of Florence, this area is well served by several nearby bus routes. The closest train station is Florence Campo Di Marte. The main train station is Florence Santa Maria Novella which is about 5km away and Florence Airport (Amerigo Vespucci) is about 10kms away.
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And it's a short journey to the sights of Florence itself - the Cathedral, Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi Museum and much more. The little towns of Fiesole and Settignano are nearby.
