Built between 1561 and 1569 at the request of Cosimo I of Medici, the Mediceo Palace was the work of either Bernardo Buontalenti or Bartolomeo Ammannati. Located not far from the historic quarter, on the left bank of the Vezza river, near the former border of the Grand Duchy, it was perfectly positioned to overlook the activity of the marble mines of Monte Altissimo.
As suggested by its slightly austere similarity to a fortified villa, with its slit windows and sharp angled walls, it was not only a residential palace. It was also designed to help protect the property of the Medici family. Formed of three main buildings that surround a walled courtyard, the palace now houses the Comunal Sirio Giannini library and the Historical Museum of Versilian Work and Popular Culture.
With the arrival of the Lorena family, the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo turned a nearby ironworks constructed alongside the river Ruosina into administrative offices and a depot for ammunition. The villa was taken over by the commune of Seravezza in 1864.

Photo: APT Versilia