2008-04-14 23:57:51 - After 400 years, the lost day spa of the Medici Family has been rediscovered and restored to its former glory.

Lost Day Spa of the Medici Discovered

By Ann Pizzorusso

annp1950@yahoo.com

Florence, Italy-- Finally, after 400 years, in the heart of one of the world's most beautiful cities, Florence, Italy, the former thermal day spa of the Medici family has been rediscovered and meticulously restored to a private retreat.

After having been lost for centuries, it took the insight of a Florentine

real estate broker,
Gianni Ristori, to realize that a building used as a garage since the end of the World War II was once one of the most exclusive spas in Europe. Ristori, sensing that the proportions of the building and the location might signify an historic find, made, according to him, 'the same mistake that many of my clients make, I purchased the property based solely on my strong emotional response'. His instincts proved correct, for soon after purchasing the property, the office of cultural affairs confirmed that it was in fact the lost spa of the Medici family.

Although it was subdivided and parcels sold off during the ensuing centuries, the original spa had gardens with elaborate fountains and grottos which were the talk of the Continent. Invitations to the spa were a 'must have' with the VIP's of the time. In fact the whole complex of gardens, spa and buildings which originally made up the complex known as the Orti Oricellari date back to the 1200's as seen by the existing defense tower that still stands. In the 1400's, the Orti Oricellari was owned by Bernardo Rucellai, a prominent Florentine, husband of Nannina de' Medici and brother-in-law of Lorenzo de' Medici. This locale was a magnet for the most powerful and intelligent people in Europe. One habitué, Machiavelli, was deeply influenced by the people who frequented the retreat such as Gucciardini, Nardi, Vettori, Solderini and the future Pope Leo X. Machiavelli dedicated his Arte della Guerra and the Discorsi to some of the members of the Orti Oricellari and the dialoges in the Arte della Guerra are actually set there. All of Machiavelli's biographers mention the conversations in the Orti Oricellari as having influenced and refined his political thought.

The conversations were not just limited to politics but were very important for the philosophical and literary development of the Humanists, Ficino's Platonic Academy and the development of the Italian language. A number of works, which form landmarks in the history of Italian literature can be shown to owe much to the stimulating effect of these meetings. It was at the Orti Oricellari that the first modern Italian tragedy, Giovanni Rucellai's Rosamunda is said to have been staged. In addition to Machiavelli, who read aloud the chapter on conspiracies in his Discorsi, meetings were attended by Trissino who introduced discussions on the Italian language, Francesco da Diacceto who discoursed on love, the poet Luigi Alamanni, the writer Antonio Brucioli and the other young men who planned, in the Orti Oricellari a final and unsuccessful republican conspiracy against the Medici in 1522.

Following the financial and political misfortunes of the Rucellai family after the failed conspiracy against the Medici, the property was sold in 1573 to Bianca Cappello who restored the gardens to their former splendor. After a complex inheritance battle, the property reverted to the Medici family where in 1640 it was given to Prince Giovan Carlo de' Medici by his brother, the Grand Duke Ferdinand II.

Prince Giovan Carlo immediately started transforming it into a luxury spa that was to be the most spectacular in Florence. Since he had a copy of Leon Battista Alberti's Treatise on Architecture in his library, he noted that Alberti described that Dedalus had the idea of constructing a grotto where thermal baths would be installed. Wishing to create a place of utmost refinement, he followed Alberti's recomendations and decided to add frescoes from Greek mytholology. He gave the commission to two artists from Bologna, Angelo Michele Colonna and Agostino Mitelli. They decorated the walls with arches, colonnades and niches which would receive the water that flowed from the mouths of sculpted dolphins. On the ceiling, which is curved, is a portrayal of Icarus, and his father Dedalus flying to the sun. The scene, with its clouds, sunlight and Greek mythological characters, curves overhead mimicking the Mediterranean sky.

When Mr. Ristori bought the building four years ago, it was in a grave state of disrepair. The walls were crumbling. Mineral salts and moisture were ruining the frescoes.
However, using the famous fresco restorer Gioia Germani, who, among many other projects restored the Last Judgment by Vasari in the Duomo of Florence, she was able to restore the Icarus fresco to its former glory. The restoration took years, with each square foot cleaned with deionized water and then stabilized to prevent mineral salts from seeping through and deteriorating the work once again.

Mr. Ristori used the same standard of excellence when he reconfigured the living space. Every detail is sheer perfection in this multi-level retreat. The mezzanine is reached by an original spiral staircase that dates to the 1200's. The staircase, in an adjacent medieval tower, is reminiscent of a nautilus shell, winding with perfect symmetry until it leaves one on the mezzanine where a gasp of astonishment is the only possible reaction. There, with Icarus and Dedalus flying in the frescoed sky overhead and the smiling dolphins in the corners lies an expanse of marble floor with a bed and a sunken whirlpool bath. Both provide the ideal perspective for viewing the ceiling fresco. This bedroom level is of unparalleled beauty, made even more enticing at twilight when the frescoes take on another coloring, softer and warmer.

The main level has a sitting area with plasma screen TVs strategically placed for viewing from all areas. The bath is an extraordinary conglomeration of marble, chrome and glass. The kitchen is a tribute to Italian design with cabinets of brushed stainless steel and granite countertops. In keeping with the loving care of the restoration, original wash basins, changing rooms and water spigots which date from the 1600's were left in place and integrated into the overall design. The result is quintessentially Italian: a private home with a spa-like feel, where modern convenience and design meld with Renaissance luxury and beauty.

During the restoration process Mr. Ristori always kept in mind the original intent of the owners when extending an invitation to their guests: 'to provide a place where one's body and soul could rest and be recharged in an atmosphere of peace and beauty'


Contact: Ann Jones

email: annp1950@yahoo.com


website www.zenmiaow.com/medicispa/