Few days ago I had the opportunity to experience a Tuscan fairytale in a charming villa thanks to my friend Eric, Melanie and Daniela. I spent 24 hours surrounded by Chianti countryside, feeling like a princess going to celebrate one of the most important days of her life.
Villa Medicea di Lilliano, the lavish festivities’s house
This villa is located few kilometers far from Florence city center immersed in olive groves and vineyards; actually from the terrace you can clearly see the beautiful Brunelleschi’s Cupola of Florence Duomo.
It was first documented in 11th century as a look-out tower, but it was in 1646 that the villa became a Medicean property, i.e. when the Grand Duke Ferdinando II bought is as the farmhouse of Villa Lappeggi – located right in front. The farm was renowned for the production of flowers for the Medici family.
In 1667 when Villa di Lilliano was assigned to Cardinal Francesco Maria dei Medici, who renovated it as we see it today, the property was transformed into stylish a country home used to welcome important people such as King of Denmark Frederick IV.
In regard to this important visit I found very interesting the lecture of the diary by Cardinal Francesco Maria, given by Jeremy Boudreau, Head of History of Art at the British Institute. In 1709 the Cardinal described the visit of the king with several details:
When the time came to go to table even His Highness admired the lavish board, and its elegant display. […] Once again the table was cleared and covered with highly prized liqueurs and a pyramid of glasses. A great silver coffee-pot shaped like a fountain with four spouts was placed before the King. On the four sides of his square table four gold trays, on two of them three cups of chocolate and two of water. The four spaces between were filled with Savoy biscuits and other pastries for dipping.
Over 300 years of dolce vita
Since Francesco Maria wrote these words over 300 years have passed and not much has changed in the atmosphere of this villa, thanks also to the Malenchini family. The Malenchini family bought the property in 1830 and still lives here. The owners maintained the farm by producing extra virgin olive oil and Chianti wine, as well as organic vegetables sold in their shop.
The property is nowadays a location for dreamy events, thanks to Eric and his partners in crime Daniela and Melanie. Daniela is the owner of The Tuscan Wedding and yes, I can say she’s a super wedding planner that knows exactly how to turn a wedding in Tuscany into a fairytale in Tuscany!
Melanie of Tuscan Wedding Cakes, on the other hand, is a real artist of wedding cakes: every cake is a unique piece, because she makes it specifically for that wedding, and need 3 days of patient work. The one that you see in below pictures took 60 hours of work and was extremely delicious!
These 3 people together with the flowers decorations of Flowers Living, the lettering of Laura Mazzetti and the divine food of Judy of Divina Cucina, turned my stay at Villa Lilliano into a day dream!
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