The first historical news of the "Villa di Bellariva" dates back to the 1400s, when Alighieri's family gave it to a group of painters who, guided by Giuliano di Jacopo, turned it into an art workshop. The villa is located on the right bank of the Arno river, along the old path where the Florentines used to go for a relaxing stroll in the country.

Towards the end of the 19th century it was rented by the Tommasi, a family of painters from Leghorn, who turned the villa into a center for art studies. Here the main Italian Impressionists and Post-Impressionists could find a place to get together and exchange ideas in a friendly environment. Among others, Giuseppe Abbate, Silvestro Lega, and Telemaco Signorini stayed there, finding the inspiration for their work in the peaceful place that surrounded them.