Majestic historic mansion on the hills of Pistoia
Villa il Merlo is a historic residence whose construction was completed around 1750. It lies nestled among the hills of Pistoia, surrounded by 5 hectares of woodland, rows of cypress trees, and olive groves.
The light-colored façade, the pietra serena pediment, and the framed stringcourses convey a refined, harmonious, and almost austere taste. With its panoramic gardens, the villa overlooks a stunning landscape that offers views of the dome of Florence Cathedral and the entire plain stretching westward to the towers of Serravalle Pistoiese.
The villa has an internal surface area of approximately 1,500 square meters, comprising 25 rooms plus service areas and hallways. Inside, it is entirely frescoed with mythological scenes and landscapes, interspersed with architectural decorative elements, also in fresco, which enhance the structural features. The villa rises over three levels, two principal floors and one mezzanine plus a semi-basement level housing the kitchens and cellars. The four floors are connected by a grand staircase and an elevator. Adjacent to the villa, about 100 meters away, stands a large restored farmhouse that has always served as a support building to the main residence.
A small chapel commemorates the vows of Giuseppe Ippoliti, promoter of the villa′s construction, who was appointed Bishop of Cortona and later of Prato and Pistoia. The villa subsequently passed by inheritance to the Settimanni family and was later sold, in the last century, to the Bini family. In the mid-1960s, the current owning family carried out a complete restoration, respecting its architectural and decorative values, and furnished it with refined period antiques.
