History

The villa once belonged to the Torrigiani family, from Florence, who produced wine at Fattoria Montecchio and had a successful business.

It may only have been the 1300s, but their reputation as traders in luxury goods – not just wine – had spread far beyond the confines of Florence, leading the family to set up a large base in Nuremberg: an important trade crossroads with the lucrative Russian market.

Over the years, the Torrigiani family became one of the most famous in Florence, with members occupying important positions in the Republic, but they remained on the outer circle enough to survive the advent of the Medici.

It was during the years of the Grand Duchy that the Torrigiani family really struck gold. In 1520, they bought the first palace in the city, Palazzo Bartolini Torrigiani, the first in a long line of purchases and the start of a story that would culminate in Giovan Vincenzo Torrigiani being awarded the title of Marquis, on the volition of Pope Clement XIII.