THE VILLA
The Headquarters of the Giuseppe Olmo Foundation
The headquarters of the Giuseppe Olmo Foundation is located in the historic Villa Medicea La Ferdinanda, also known as the ‘Villa dei Cento Camini’.
The impressive residence was owned by Giuseppe Olmo in the 1980s and has a centuries-long history dating back much earlier.
Designed by architect Bernardo Buontalenti and commissioned by Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici, the Villa was built between 1596 and 1600.
Today, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ferdinanda is not only an architectural work of great importance, but also a strategic viewpoint of the then Grand Duchy of Tuscany, dominating the vast natural area of the Barco Reale.
This area is today a treasure trove of extraordinary biodiversity, a hunting reserve commissioned by Ferdinando II de’ Medici in 1626.
Part of Olmo’s acquisition includes the Artimino Estate, located in Carmignano, where the family cultivates vineyards and olive groves.
It was on this Estate that Cosimo III, in 1716, created the first regulations to define the ‘Denominazione di Origine Controllata’ for wines, anticipating by almost a century the French Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, laying the foundations for an oenological tradition of excellence.
Surrounded by a natural setting of extraordinary beauty, the villa is surrounded by art and history.
Inside, in the central hall, one can admire frescoes by Domenico Passignano and Bernardino Poccetti. Moreover, the estate holds precious Etruscan artefacts, which are exhibited in the Francesco Nicosia Archaeological Museum, located in the nearby village of Artimino.
This villa, therefore, is not only a symbol of the past, but a living place of culture and research.
Thanks to its unique location, the Giuseppe Olmo Foundation is the ideal place to promote studies, meetings and reflections.
High-level conferences and seminars find here the perfect context to stimulate thought and encourage progress in the scientific, humanistic and social disciplines, always respecting the tradition and beauty of the place.