Giardino San Francesco di Paola, Former convent with garden in Bellosguardo, Italy.
Giardino San Francesco di Paola is a former convent with gardens in Bellosguardo, combining Renaissance architecture with layers of artistic additions. The property holds stone buildings with arcaded loggias, cypress-lined paths, winding trails, multiple terraces, and scattered statues throughout the grounds.
The Minimi monks received the land in 1583 as a gift from the Strozzi family and built their monastic community there. In the late 1800s, sculptor Adolf Hildebrand acquired the property and transformed it into a working artist's residence and creative space.
The place takes its name from a Franciscan saint and reflects layers of artistic vision across centuries. Walking through reveals sculptures and landscaping choices that show how different artists shaped this space as a creative retreat.
The grounds are walkable with unpaved paths that wind through changing elevations and sections. The site is best explored during daylight hours when natural light illuminates the buildings and garden spaces throughout the property.
From elevated spots within the gardens, the view extends far across Florence toward the city's core landmarks and historic buildings in the distance. These viewpoints are tucked into the property's landscape, creating unexpected moments of connection to the broader urban panorama.
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