The most beautiful panoramic view over Florence.
The splendid location over the city of Florence gave the Villa its original name, “Villa Belvedere”. Villa Bardini today brings to mind the “Casini di Delizia” developed as relaxation homes around Florence between the end of the 16th and first half of the 17th centuries. These homes were traditionally surrounded by expansive tracts of land serving agricultural and ornamental purposes. Thus cited a Florentine guide at the end of the 1800s, and remains true to this day. The Bardini Garden offers a remarkable panorama over Florence that occupies a large part of a hill bordered by the medieval walls of the city.
Tracing its history back to medieval times, the Bardini Garden belonged to a series of wealthy families. Originally constructed for agricultural purposes, it was transformed over the course of the centuries into a splendid Italianate garden. At the beginning of the 1900s, it was used by Stefano Bardini (known as the “prince of the antiquarians”) as an impressive setting to entertain his well-to-do clientele.
The Bardini Garden is comprised of three styles of gardens representing different eras:
* The Italianate Garden, with the magnificent baroque staircase;
* The English Garden which, with its exotic elements, represents a rare example of Anglo-Chinese landscaping;
* The Agricultural Park in which an orchard and the iconic wisteria pergola are located.
The Bardini Garden, thanks to the Fondazione Parchi Monumental Bardini Peyron and the Fondazione CR Firenze, today represents a best practice in restoration effort when in 2006, this green center was brought back to its former glory.
