Acquired in 1593 by Pier Francesco de’ Medici, under Cosimo I it was the residence of the commanders of the Order of Santo Stefano. The Grand Duke Ferdinando II de’ Medici then granted it to Eleonora Ramirez di Montalvo who, from 1650, designated it as a countryside retreat for the Congregation she established, the Montalve, intended for the education of noble girls. In 1724 Anna Maria Luisa, the last descendant of the Medici family, moved to La Quiete and equipped the villa with an Italian garden, for which she used the advice of Sebastiano Rapi, gardener of Boboli.
On the ground floor of the Conservatory there is a historic pharmacy. It is not certain whether it was built simultaneously with the foundation of the Institute or at a later time, although some objects, belonging to its equipment and dating back to the late 17th century, would suggest activity already from that period.
It ceased its activity with the suppression of the Institute in the Napoleonic era. The furnishings, consisting of a series of cabinets with glass doors and a counter with a marble top, are characterized by the simplicity of the whole with very few decorative elements. The ceramic and glassware equipment is interesting as it testifies to the activity carried out between the late 17th century and the early 19th century: it consists of some round bottles with stoppers, albarellos, white ceramic jars, urn-shaped vases and other vases manufactured in Doccia.
Today it is the seat of the Center of Culture for Foreigners affiliated with the University of Florence.
