Tenuta di Artimino has its roots in a fascinating past, whose taste is still savoured today when walking around these magic places. Originally an Etruscan settlement, Artimino subsequently became a medieval village used as a hunting residence by the Medici family.
Its heart is the Medicean villa La Ferdinanda, listed under the UNESCO World Heritage. Dominating the hills and vineyards of Montalbano, La Ferdinanda is a jewel where time seems to have frozen. The villa was designed by Bernando Buontalenti in 1596 at the behest of the Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici. Founded as a hunting lodge, it was completed in just four years and linked the family’s various landed properties. La Ferdinanda is also known as the Villa dei Cento Camini – the villa with 100 chimneys – because of the many chimneys that protrude from the top of the building and make it unique: an artistic habit of Buontalenti’s to liven up austere architecture while heating this huge building.
Over the 732 hectares, in addition to the splendid Villa Medicea, lies the Paggeria Medicea, a charming 4-star hotel housed in a building of the early 17th century, coupled with gourmet restaurant Biagio Pignatta kitchen and winery, offering unique dishes where seasonal and local vegetables are the main ingredients in the menu designed by Executive Chef Michaela Bottasso. Located a short distance from the villa and adjacent to the Hotel, Biagio Pignatta kitchen and winery is a sort of museum of regional traditions and flavours. The restaurant has recently been cleverly renovated to enhance precious original elements, such as terracotta and limestone, and at the same time give it an innovative touch thanks to a mix of decorative elements inspired by the Tuscan tradition, making for an international country-glam style. The main colour is sage green, used ubiquitously yet discreetly, to recall the oil that is produced in the Estate by more than 17,000 olive trees, perfectly combining with the white and beige colours of the walls where large mirrors and comfortable sofas dominate. Spacious rooms, which can also accommodate small private groups, a terrace and a gazebo surrounded by furnishings of refined taste complete the venue; and finally, the breathtaking view of the Tuscan countryside will delight your gaze and mind.
