Poggio a Caiano
ItalyCfa
© OpenStreetMap, CARTO
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Why visit
The Villa Medicea is the obvious draw attraction, free to enter, with frescoes by Pontormo and Andrea del Sarto, the magnificent barrel-vaulted main salon, and gardens that slope down toward the Ombrone River. The Museum of Still Life inside the villa is the only one of its kind in Italy. Use Poggio as a quieter, cheaper base than Florence, trains reach the city in 25 minutes, and venture out to the textile museum in Prato or the Etruscan ruins at Artimino just up the hill.
When to avoid
There's not much beyond the villa and a few cafes, don't expect nightlife or dining variety. The villa closes Mondays. August sees Italians flee on holiday and many local trattorias shutter. Summer afternoons in the Arno valley turn humid and sticky despite the modest 45-meter elevation. Skip arriving without booked accommodation, options are limited.
