Corsini al Prato Palace

Home to the Corsini family, Palazzo Corsini al Prato opens through its Via il Prato entrance onto a magnificent Italian garden. Its broad geometric parterre of box hedges is adorned with ancient statues from Cardinal Neri Corsini’s collection, set on tall plinths of gradually diminishing height. A large three-arched loggia designed by Buontalenti fronts the palace’s garden façade. Topped by a balustraded balcony, the loggia forms a theatrical backdrop to the avenue of statues leading to two perfectly preserved historic lemon houses. Peonies and cherry trees grow in front of them. On either side of the parterre, two symmetrical English-style groves of holm oaks and laurels are dotted with acanthus. Beyond the lemon houses, to the left, lies the garden’s rural, productive area, with an orchard and a meadow scattered with centuries-old lime trees. The aromatic plants flowering in the beds edged with box hedges are a recent addition by landscape designer Olivia di Collobiano. The specimens of Poncirus trifoliata, a rare citrus species, are older.