Villa Gamberaia, March 15-21, 2020
At Home in Florence: The Villas and Gardens of American and British Expatriates in the 1800s and 1900s

Villa Gamberaia is pleased to host a special week of visits to the villas and gardens of distinguished American and British expatriates: artists and art collectors, poets and novelists who, attracted by the treasures of Renaissance art, the Tuscan landscape, and the ideal of country living, made Florence and the surrounding hills their home abroad.

The Gamberaia, celebrated for its unique gardens and splendid setting overlooking the city of Florence and the Arno Valley, has long inspired American and British landscape designers, from Charles Platt and Cecil Pinsent to Ellen Biddle Shipman. In the early 1900s it was the favorite meeting place of Bernard and Mary Berenson, Janet Ross, Vernon Lee and Arthur Acton, who gathered for tea, dinners on the terrace and talks on art and literature with their hostess, the Romanian princess Jeanne Ghyka and her American companion, artist Florence Blood, two very talented women who created the magnificent parterre d’eau.

Our one-week program, including a workshop on garden design and visits to the historic gardens of Florence and the hillside villas of American and British writers, art collectors and architects, is designed for a small group (6-12 persons) seeking both a tranquil setting away from crowds of tourists and a convenient base for visits to Florence and Fiesole. All visits, on-site lectures and workshops are conducted by art historians and landscape architects resident in Florence.

For further information on the week’s program, costs and reservation policy, please contact the office of Villa Gamberaia: info@villagamberaia.com.