Villa Chigi Farnese alle Volte Alte, Renaissance villa in Siena, Italy.
Villa Chigi Farnese alle Volte Alte is a High Renaissance residence on a hill west of Costalpino, built with two main floors and an attic. The estate includes the main house, a chapel, several farm buildings, stables, and fish ponds with an adjoining theater space.
Construction began between 1490 and 1505 for Mariano Chigi, with architect Baldassarre Peruzzi directing the design. The property became a center of Renaissance culture and power for one of the era's leading banking families.
The Chigi family used this villa to display their power and wealth while maintaining a working farm with a chapel, ponds, and agricultural buildings. The Church of San Bartolomeo shows how aristocracy and religion were intertwined during the Renaissance.
The villa is located at Strada delle Volte Alte 10 and is managed by the regional cultural authority. Wear sturdy shoes when visiting since the grounds are on a hillside with some unpaved pathways.
Pope Julius II visited the property between 1510 and 1511, commemorated by an inscription in one of the vaulted rooms of the portico. This rare record of a papal visit shows the family's standing at the highest levels of Renaissance society.
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