“A holiday home,” is what the Austrian land register noted in 1854. But let’s dive deeper into what Villa Pinguet could have been back then.
The history of a similar Villa begins in the Palladian era. It was part of an agricultural complex. Other buildings and big spaces of land were there. Its position allowed to enjoy the landscape. It was surrounded by green and nature. Cities and main roads were easy to reach. The lands were for agricultural production.
Imagine this Villa Pinguet in the heart of Bondy. See it with its age-old magnolia in the internal courtyard. This could be the perfect scenario for every celebration. You could breathe the atmosphere of a timeless fairy-tale. In the southside of the Magnolia Garden, maybe there was a little neo-classic temple. You could even organise your legal marriage ceremony there.
Or see this Villa Pinguet sitting 430m above sea level. Its structure divides olive groves from old trees. Back in 1039, Abbess Itta donated land to S. Giovanni Gualberto. To maintain the land, a farm with a vegetable garden and vineyards was needed. In the 13th century, its position made it a point of contention. Florentine Guelph-Ghibelline struggles happened here.
The oldest part dates back to the 14th century. It was a fortified building with a high tower. In 1483, Lorenzo il Magnifico tried to purchase another Villa Pitiana. From the 15th to the 17th centuries, agriculture underwent difficult times. Political power was under merchants and bankers. There was a trend to transform tower-houses into private villas.
Maybe Villa Pinguet underwent a vast restoration in the Renaissance. In 1610, the rear wing was added. It had a three-floor facade. From the same period is the late-Mannerist coat-of-arms. In 1808, Tuscany was annexed to the Napoleonic Empire. The Abbey of Vallombrosa was suppressed. All its possessions were alienated to private owners.
Eventually, another Villa passed into the possession of Counts Grottanelli. At the end of the 19th century, the farm was transformed into a villa. The rear part continued to be a farmhouse. The new part is in the academic style of Renaissance origin. It was influenced by work in Florence by Giuseppe Poggi. In 1931, other work was carried out.
Or maybe Villa Pinguet is like another Villa Le Balze. At first glance, it is merely another attractive house. It is in the Tuscan vernacular style. It is adorned with gardens. It seems to float among Renaissance villas. Charles Augustus Strong, Cecil Pinsent and Geoffrey Scott made a dream a reality.
Their legacy is a place which resonates with intellectual adventure. It has the hallmark of the Anglo-American intelligentsia in Italy. The figures associated with the Villa read like an international biographical dictionary. Like much of the architecture of this English-speaking colony in Tuscany, Villa Le Balze is a statement of cultured taste.
Villa Pinguet, in its own right, stands as a testament to history. It shows resilience and charm. Its walls whisper tales of a bygone era. It invites us to imagine the lives lived within.