Villa Borromeo

Villa Borromeo is a country residence set on a hilltop with an L-shaped layout connected by a stone staircase that rises to a terrace with views across Val di Pesa valley. Today it operates as a restaurant serving traditional Tuscan food and hosts events in its decorated interior rooms.

The Borromeo family built this country house in the 14th century, and it passed to the Capponi family in 1704 through a marriage arrangement. This transfer reflected the way land ownership moved between prominent families through strategic family ties in Tuscan nobility.

Inside you find an 18th-century ballroom with a vaulted ceiling, and a family chapel that copies the layout of Loreto's holy site. These rooms show how wealthy families displayed both their devotion and their status.

The property sits in an elevated location with good views of the surrounding landscape and can be reached via Via del Borromeo 110. You should book ahead if planning to dine there, especially on weekends or when private events might be taking place.

Important guests including Pope Pius VII, Ferdinand III, and Princess Antonia of Bourbon stayed at the villa before it became a restaurant in the 1950s. This shift marked a turning point when many Tuscan estates found new purposes beyond private family use.