Medici villas

Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany
UNESCO World Heritage Site
	Medici villa of Fiesole (1457)
Location	Tuscany, Italy
Criteria	Cultural: (ii), (iv), (vi)
Reference	175
Inscription	2013 (37th Session)
Area	125.4 ha (310 acres)
Buffer zone	3,539.08 ha (8,745.3 acres)
Coordinates	43°51′28″N 11°18′15″E / 43.85778°N 11.30417°E
	Location of Medici villas in Tuscany Medici villas (Italy)

The Medici villas are a series of rural building complexes in Tuscany which were owned by members of the Medici family between the 15th century and the 17th century. The villas served several functions: they were the country palaces of the Medici, scattered over the territory that they ruled, demonstrating their power and wealth. They were also recreational resorts for the leisure and pleasure of their owners; and, more prosaically, they were the centre of agricultural activities on the surrounding estates. In 2013, the Medici villas were added to UNESCO's World Heritage list.