Scuderie Medicee, Historic stables near Villa Medicea in Poggio a Caiano, Italy

The Scuderie Medicee is a classical building with two levels located near the Villa Medicea in Poggio a Caiano. Its symmetrical facade with regularly spaced windows and grand entrance reflects Renaissance architectural principles.

The structure was built between 1516 and 1548 by architects Nanni di Baccio Bigio and Niccolò Tribolo to serve the Medici family's horses. It remained part of the family estate for centuries afterward.

The stables sit at the crossing of the old roads to Pistoia and Prato, keeping their role as a service stop on the Medici travel routes. The low kennel wing added in the early 17th century still reads as a separate, lower body against the main block. The brick wall of the Medici garden forms one side of the view from the Via Pistoiese.

The building stands at the junction of the old roads to Pistoia and Prato, with its main gable front facing Via Pistoiese and its long eastern side along the Prato road. The western side faces the brick wall of the villa park, which bridges the height difference between the two levels. The interior is reached from the courtyard open toward the Ombrone stream.

A fire in 1978 severely damaged the abandoned building, but extensive restoration allowed it to be transformed into a modern cultural center. The renovation demonstrates how historical structures can be saved and given new purpose.