This villa, together with its formal garden and large park, stands on the Fiesole hills, in a beautiful position with a spectacular view of Florence to the south and of Castel del Poggio to the east. It takes its name from a 16th-century fountain set in a verdant wood on the uphill side of the villa which supplies water (by simple force of gravity) to the many fountains in the garden and park.

It seems likely that the villa was built over Etruscan ruins, traces of which can be seen in the underground rooms and the immediate surroundings, such as the Cyclopean walls in the park. Over the centuries the building was remodelled until it acquired its present appearance as a result of work done by the architect Giovannozzi in the early 20th century.

The garden, which spreads over three terraces on the south side, has a box-hedged parterre running in line with the villa. The upper terrace was probably created at the time of the villa's construction, while the others, much of the rest of the park, were laid out by Angelo Peyron and by his son Paolo Peyron. Paolo also created the lake and the architectural and monumental complex above it.

The beautifully-sculptured statues that adorn the garden were taken from villas near the Brenta river in north-east Italy's Veneto region, to replace the ones that were destroyed during World War II. Castello di Vincigliata Vincigliata via di Vincigliata 13