The Coat of Arms Hall

The first room you encounter when entering Villa I Busini is The Coat of Arms Hall, perfectly preserved as a nod to the noble families who owned the Villa over the years.

The Hall provides evidence that the Peruzzi and de Medici families wanted to put their personal stamp on the Villa. Outside just above the front door you will notice a marble inscription which reads:                  

NEL PICCIOL CERCHIO S’ENTRAVA PER PORTA 
CHE SI NOMAVA DA QUEI DE LA PERA

The inscription translates to:

One entered the small circuit by a gate
Which from the Pear took its name     

This excerpt is from Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy masterpiece (Volume III Paradiso Canto XVI). Dante was a close friend of the Peruzzi family, hence their mention in his literature. 

The name Peruzzi originates from the Italian word “Pera” meaning pears, which was also incorporated into the family crest visible in the Coat of Arms. The stained-glass of the entryway door depict the two separate Coats of Arms of the de Medici and Peruzzi families and, directly across the room, an impressive wreath surrounding the Peruzzi de Medici Coat of Arms bids you welcome.

The authentic stone fireplace and the intricately hand-painted Renaissance-period cassapanca—a combination of a cassone (low chest) and a banca (bench)—are quintessential pièces de résistance of Italian Renaissance homes.

The Coat of Arms Hall also functioned as a vestibule, bidding access to The Medici Salon and receiving business acquaintances without having them enter the private quarters of the Villa.