What to see in Artimino, itinerary including the main monuments and places of interest, including Villa Medicea La Ferdinanda, nicknamed Villa dei Cento Camini, and Pieve San Leonardo.
Tourist information
Nestled on a Montalbano hill in the municipality of Carmignano in the province of Prato, Artimino is a small medieval village famous for the grandiose Medici villa la Ferdinanda, commonly called the villa of a hundred fireplaces.
The area where Artimino stands is very interesting from a historical point of view, as it was already inhabited since the Etruscan era, as evidenced by the archaeological finds found near the current village, built inside the walls of the Castle dating back to eleventh century, the remains of which are still partially visible, together with part of the walls and the crenellated tower with the clock, from whose door you enter the town, where there are a well and ancient buildings, including a dedicated former oratory to S. Simone.
Between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, due to its strategic position, Artimino was bitterly disputed between Florence and Pistoia, only in 1329 it passed definitively under Florence.
What see
Villa La Ferdinanda, connected to the village through a long tree-lined avenue, was commissioned by Ferdinando I dei Medici and built, between 1596 and 1600, on a project by the court architect Bernardo Buontalenti, as a place to stay for the owner and his guests during the period of hunting trips inside the Barco Reale, a large wooded area transformed into a hunting reserve by Cosimo I.
The Pieve di San Leonardo Artimino, located on the crest of the hill outside the village, is an extraordinary example of pre-Romanesque architecture initially dedicated to the Virgin Mary and later also dedicated to San Leonardo.
