Dotted across the ancient Tuscan landscape of rolling hills, olive groves and towering cypress trees, sit some of the greatest country houses of Italy. Here, Professor Carlo Cresti and the photographer Massimo Listri present buildings by such noted masters as Sangallo, Buontalenti and Peruzzi.

Preeminent Florentine photographer Massimo Listri uncovers the great public as well as private Tuscan treasures in this unprecedented, oversize, and deluxe volume. Celebrating Tuscany's renowned art and architecture, elegance, and charm, this unique volume unveils the finest Tuscan gems, both the famous as well as the hidden. Photographer Massimo Listri's unique access affords this resplendent publication of Tuscany's great treasures, including the architecture, art, and artistry of its frescoes, churches, palazzi, and gardens, as well as previously unseen private residence interiors, chapels, villas, and estates. This oversize and deluxe volume features stunning gatefolds and showcases four hundred sumptuous color and large-format photographs. From Florence to its surrounding areas, such as San Gimignano, Arezzo, Pisa, Siena, Montepulciano, Chianti, Lucca, and Pistoia, this book culls from Listri's rich vault of visually stunning and historically noteworthy material to create a privileged journey through which Tuscany is at once marvelously displayed. Tuscany is a superb piece of art to be enjoyed by both Italian art and culture connoisseurs as well as those discovering the region for the first time.

A stunning collection of photographs celebrating the excellence of the Italian Renaissance period through palaces and gardens built between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The book illustrates nine locations of extraordinary artistic and architectural interest, conceived by prominent Italian families and dynasties as urban villas or country houses centered around the pursuit of entertainment and leisure. These lavishly decorated and frescoed palaces are adorned with handcrafted furniture and works of art and surrounded by gardens that retain their original layout to this day--a very rare feature. An historical text introduces each property, giving an overview of its origins. The villas have been specially photographed for this book by Dario Fusaro, with views of both the palace interiors and their grounds, as well as the gardens, glimpses of the halls, details of the furnishings, and a focus on the frescoes, where still preserved. Explanatory text offers insights on the most interesting frescoes, such as those of Veronese at Villa Barbaro. For the first time, Fusaro also employs a drone with the purpose of capturing the architectural structure and elements of each Italian Renaissance garden, from above and as a whole. This all-access volume is essential for fans and readers interested in Italian art, for those who love to travel through Italy in search of places of artistic interest, and for those seeking out green tourist destinations.

Not only a photographic revelation of the residential treasures of Lucca, but an exploration of the artistic and cultural heritage of the region.