This volume reveals the beauty and history of one of the great Florentine villas, La Pietra, and the extraordinary Anglo-American family that restored it to its former glory and ultimately bequeathed it to New York University. The book tells the story of the Villa and the Acton family and includes a lively, insightful text by noted art historian A. Richard Turner, along with an elegant introductory essay by Cristina Acidini Luchinar, of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage. The book brings to vibrant life the expatriate community in Florence in the Acton family members, including Sir Harold Acton, the aesthete, scholar, and legendary host; the Acton"s restoration of the Villa"s magnificent Renaissance garden; the remarkable art collection amassed by the Actons; and the making of La Pietra"s new role as an international study and conference center.