Villa Schifanoia, Renaissance villa in Fiesole, Italy

Villa Schifanoia is a villa in the San Domenico area of Florence, on Via Boccaccio 121 near the Fiesole border. Its 15th-century core has a garden façade with a three-arched loggia and windows on protruding lintels; a terrace with a balustrade and a pediment bearing a carved coat of arms stands above. The Italian garden descends through three terraces linked by stairways, with box hedges, fountains and statues.

The core of the villa dates to the 15th century, when it belonged to the Cresci family, who held it until 1550, when it passed to Bartolomeo di Bate di Zaccheria. The Ciacchi family acquired it in the second half of the 18th century and in 1847 built the chapel dedicated to Saint Thomas beside the main building. In 1927 the American ambassador Myron Taylor bought it and restored it to house his art collection.

The name Schifanoia means "avoiding boredom", a reference to the villa's leisure purpose. Since 2016 it has housed the EUI's Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, after the Italian state bought it in 1986 and renovated it in stages between 1988 and 2002. The Sala Triaria holds a mudéjar ceiling the Taylors brought from Spain.

The property is located at Via Giovanni Boccaccio 121 in Fiesole and is accessible as part of the European University Institute campus. Keep in mind that it functions as an active academic environment, so some areas may have restricted access.

The name translates literally to 'avoiding boredom,' a playful reference to the property's purpose as a retreat for the aristocracy. The chapel was built in 1847 and dedicated to Saint Thomas, showing how religious spaces were later integrated into the secular villa.