The Garden of the Medici Villa di Castello is located in Florence in Località Castello , a district on the north-western outskirts of Florence.

The Villa was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 . The Villa di Castello is one of the oldest suburban residences of the Medici family . The mansion was built by the will of Cosimo I de 'Medici in 1477 and in 1538 its garden was designed with fountains, statues and caves. Today it houses a Renaissance museum .

The Museum was born in 1537 thanks to Cosimo I de 'Medici with architect Niccolò Tribolo. Of great interest is the pictorial cycle created by Tribolo and Pierino da Vinci with a bronze group by Bartolomeo Ammannati . The Grotta degli animali with water features and decorations is part of the gardens and is now open to the public thanks to the restorations.

The Cave of the Animals , also called the Deluge , houses sculptural groups of animals in polychrome marble . In the upper area of the gardens there is an English garden with a large cistern made by Vasari with the bronze sculpture of Ammannati, the Apennines or January . Furthermore, the garden is very important for its unique botanical history in the world. The garden boasts ancient Medici varieties and over three hundred years of life.