In 1771 Giuseppe Calamai bought Villa Maurogordato with the intention of transforming it in his country residence. The villa is situated in Monterotondo, a hamlet in the southern part of the municipality of Livorno.

In 1821 Calamai sold the villa to Count Giraud; then, in 1847, the villa became property of Michele Maurogordato, of Greek origins. The Maurogordato family had the villa refurbished and transformed into an aristocratic building. At the same time, a wide 8-hectare Romantic garden was realised, with large pathways intersecting the ancient colonnade twice. The colonnade itself was restored and extended. The garden was enriched with holm-oaks, cypresses, oaks and exotic plants, such as Aleppo pines, cedars of Lebanon and eucalyptuses.

Since 1975 the garden, whose structure has remained unaltered since the restructuring commissioned by Maurogordato, has been opened to the public.