Enchanted Villas and Gardens — ORT concerts in Poggio a Caiano

A festival in the Medici residences

Enchanted Villas and Gardens is the summer festival by the Orchestra della Toscana (ORT) which, for ten years, has been bringing great music to the historic villas and gardens of Tuscany. For the 2026 edition—the tenth—the festival has chosen the Villa Medicea of Poggio a Caiano, in the municipality of Poggio a Caiano, Prato, as its inaugural venue. This is where some of the most anticipated concerts of the season will take place between June and July.

The Villa Medicea, a Renaissance treasure

Commissioned by Lorenzo the Magnificent and designed by Giuliano da Sangallo at the end of the 15th century, the Villa of Poggio a Caiano is one of the most famous Medici residences. Since 2013, it has been part of the "Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany" UNESCO World Heritage site. Its frescoed hall, garden, and park offer an unparalleled backdrop for live music: listening to the ORT here means combining the concert experience with the discovery of a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture.

The 2026 festival

The tenth edition of Enchanted Villas and Gardens unfolds throughout the summer with fifteen concerts spread across ten villas, parks, and historic sites in Tuscany—from Villa della Petraia to Villa La Magia in Quarrata, from the Pratolino Park to the Forte di Belvedere, and Villa La Ferdinanda in Artimino. Poggio a Caiano kicks off the festival and hosts two symphonic performances, both at 9:30 PM in the setting of the Villa Medicea.

Music, art, and landscape

What makes this festival special is the meeting between the ORT's symphonic and chamber repertoire and the venues that host it. The concerts, lasting about an hour without an interval, are designed for a wide audience and for those who wish to experience Tuscany in an intimate, evening atmosphere. In Poggio a Caiano, the evening can be accompanied, upon reservation, by a free guided tour of the villa's main floor before the concert.

A local landmark

For Poggio a Caiano and the entire Prato area, the festival represents a premier cultural event: it brings classical music to a diverse audience and enhances the heritage of the Medici Villas as living spaces rather than just museums. It is a testament to how art, history, and music continue to dialogue in Tuscany.