Situated on a hill opposite the village of Artimino, in the municipality of Carmignano, Villa La Ferdinanda, which is also called the "villa of the hundred chimneys" due to the numerous chimney-pots decorating its roofs, is the last villa that Ferdinando I de` Medici commissioned to Bernardo Buontalenti.

The construction works began in 1596 and lasted only four years, being accomplished in 1600.

The imposing building, where Grand Duke Ferdinando I lived during his shoots, is not surrounded by a real garden but is immersed in the surrounding forested area and agricultural land.

Originally, the villa was decorated with 17 famous lunettes by Giusto Utens representing as many Medicean villas scattered in the Tuscan countryside. At present, three of them are missing, whereas the remaining ones are housed in the museum Firenze Com`Era. The so-called "Sala delle Guerre" (the hall of wars) was instead decorated with lunettes representing war scenes, again by Giusto Utens.

The villa, where Ferdinando I loved to spend the summertime, was decorated with frescoes by Domenico Passignano and Bernardino Poccetti, representing mythological subjects or celebrating the Grand Duke`s successes. Famous pictures by Titian and Caravaggio that at the present are to be admired at the Uffizi once decorated the walls of the villa.

In 1782 the Habsbourg-Lorraine family sold the villa to marquis Lorenzo Bartolomei; after having belonged to the Passerini family, in 1911 the villa was acquired by the Maraini family.

During World War II the villa was severely damaged; however, the restoration works began immediately and were finished in 1945.

Since then the villa has undergone several transfers of property.