Villa Vignamaggio

Villa Vignamaggio is a historic estate in the Chianti hills, where winemaking is documented from 1404. The villa, gardens, vineyards and farm buildings form a landscape shaped by centuries of agricultural use and family ownership.

Why it matters

The estate's early history is associated with the Gherardini family. Tradition connects the family with Lisa Gherardini, identified with Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, and links her story to Vignamaggio. The estate also served as a filming location for Kenneth Branagh's 1993 adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing.

What to notice

The property combines a Renaissance villa with gardens, vineyards, woods and historic farmhouses. Its agricultural landscape remains central to the estate's identity, alongside the cellars and the villa's architectural history.

Context and history

An estate letter of 1404 records winemaking at Vignamaggio. The property passed from the Gherardini to the Gherardi family in 1421. Later centuries brought changes to the villa and its agricultural buildings; the Nunziante family acquired and restored the estate in 1987. The Gherardini connection to Lisa Gherardini remains a tradition rather than a documented identification.