Sign the "14 Medici Villas for Unesco" petition!

“It was a fleeting emotion but it left it's mark. I had never seen the Villa Artimino near Prato, and I didn't know that, with another 13 Medici villas and gardens, the whoel lot had presented it's candidacy for Unesco World Hertiage status.” With these words begins the editorial written by Roberto Delera, editorial director of the Italian travel magazine Traveller in its latest summer issue. It is with this editorial that the magazine went on to launch a petition campaign for the inclusion of these architectural jewels in Unesco 's list of global World Heritage Sites.

Fourteen Medici villas and gardens are included in the Unesco candidacy, which was sent to Unesco offices in Paris this year. Among the villas seeking World Heritage Status are Villa Careggi in Florence, where Lorenzo The Magnificent was born and died and which today is the property of the Tuscan Region. Regional Minister of Culture, Cristina Saletti, has promised that this villa will soon become a Museum dedicated to the Freedom of Information.

The Tuscan Region presented said candidacy to Unesco because of the priceless artistic and historical importance of these villas and their adjoining gardens. The 14 Medici gardens and villas that feature in the candidacy are the Boboli Garden and Pratolino Garden (Florence), Villa Cafaggiolo (Barberino di Mugello), Villa Il Trebbio (San Piero a Sieve), Villa di Careggi (Florence), Villa Medici di Fiesole (Fiesole), Villa di Castello (Florence), Villa di Poggio a Caiano (Prato), Villa la Petraia (Florence), Villa di Cerreto Guidi (Florence), Palazzo di Seravezza (Lucca), Villa La Magia (Quarrata, Pistoia), Villa di Artimino (Carmignano), Villa di Poggio Imperiale (Florence).

Unesco commissioners will soon inspect the sites and then make their decision. Until then, those interested in showing their support for the campaign can sign the petition launched by Traveller!

Read Roberto Delera's editorial here in Italian.

Click here to sign the petition.