Villa Medici del Vascello, Renaissance villa in San Giovanni in Croce, Italy.

Villa Medici del Vascello began as a quadrangular fortress with four square corner towers and a deep perimeter moat; the scarp wall and the crenellated towers with swallowtail merlons survive. The rear block was added in the 18th century, and the English-style garden dates from the 19th century under the Soresina-Vidoni marquises.

The fortress was built in 1407 for Cabrino Fondulo, lord of Cremona, at the crossroads of the Cremona–Mantua and Asola–Casalmaggiore roads, possibly on the base of an older castle. In 1485 Ludovico Sforza granted the county of San Giovanni in Croce to Giovan Pietro Carminati di Brembilla; his son Ludovico married Cecilia Gallerani in 1492. The Soresina-Vidoni, feudal lords from 1623, added the rear block in the 18th century and the English garden in the 19th. Abandoned after 1945, the villa was bought by the comune in 2005 and opened to the public in May 2014.

The name comes from the Medici del Vascello family, the last owners, who lived here until 1945; "vascello" means a large sailing ship. Cecilia Gallerani, the woman Leonardo portrayed in the Lady with an Ermine, held a small court here after marrying Ludovico Carminati in 1492, hosting Lombard Renaissance writers and artists.

The estate is most easily reached by car with parking available on the grounds. Visitors should verify in advance whether access is open or if prior arrangements need to be made.

The name "del Vascello" comes from the Medici del Vascello family, the villa's last owners, not from any ship. Marchesa Maria Carolina and Marchese Francesco Medici del Vascello lived here until 1945, after which the building stood empty until the Comune di San Giovanni in Croce bought it in 2005.