Villa Martini, now the property of the Town Council, stands on the road that climbs up to the castle, just outside the town, in an area known as Renatico.
Ferdinando Martini had it built in around 1887 on a design by the architect Cesare Spighi in the eclectic taste in vogue in Tuscany in the second half of the 19th century. The villa of today still retains its 19th century aspect and is a rectangular-shaped building on two floors, characterised by a double order of windows and a double flight of stairs for access.
Many of the rooms inside are decorated with elegant coffered ceilings containing tondos in polychrome ceramics. Since 1988 the villa has hosted cultural exhibitions of various kinds organised by the town administration, in collaboration with important cultural institutes, and also contains the "The Renatico" Civic Collection in the Museum of Contemporary and 20th century Art, arranged in the year 2000, and a gallery for contemporary art exhibitions, conferences and study seminars, as well as films and open-air theatre during the summer season.
The villa is surrounded by large grounds, famous for their precious vegetable essences that include cork oaks, camphor plants and sequoias. A route through the interior of the garden helps visitors to recognise and appreciate the special tree collection.
