During the 19th century, the Garden became one of the most admired in the city and a benchmark for botanical rarities. It was a regular destination for scientific visits and received numerous awards, both in Italy and abroad, for the quality and diversity of the plants and flowers cultivated within it.

At the end of the 19th century, the Garden’s large lawn hosted football training sessions and matches, attended by members of the Florentine aristocracy and by English families who had settled in Florence at the time. It was thanks to Pietro Torrigiani that the Florence Football Club was founded—the oldest football club in Florence—whose first president was the then Mayor of Florence, a prominent figure in the city’s political life.

On February 12, 1951, Villa Torrigiani was the setting for another historic moment: its ballroom hosted the first Made in Italy fashion show. The event was reserved for a select group of American buyers and marked the rise of Italian fashion on the international stage, establishing it as a refined alternative to French fashion.

Even today, this extraordinary historical and botanical heritage continues to reflect a tradition of excellence and international innovation.