Castello di Sammezzano - Castle on sale. Castle for sale

DESCRIPTION OF THE COMPLEX

Versione Italiana

The building complex is located in the Municipality of Reggello, in the village known as "Il Leccio", about 30 kilometres from Florence, adjacent to the historical castle of Sammezzano. The castle was founded by the Romans, developed by the Carolingians, later became a Medicean residence, and is now characterized by a Moorish silhouette which was applied at the end of the 19th century by Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona. The castle is surrounded by an ample park, with an interesting variety of botanical species.

THE BUILDING COMPLEX

The Peacock Hall
The polychrome stucco vaults, which recall the form of the peacock's tail, inspired the name of this salon. The lower part of the walls are tiled, with a marble plinth, while the columns are of painted stucco. The paving is of majolica.

The White Hall or Ballroom
Placed at the centre of the castle, this salon is surmounted by a glass dome surrounded by a balcony. The shields which adorn the base of the dome bear these inscriptions: "fortitudo, misericordia, elementia, temperantia, pax, prudentia, justitia, libertas", while the second passageway around the dome has an inscription which names the Marquis d'Aragona as author of the hall in the year 1863.

His initials, "F.P.X." are repeated on the walls. The decorations above two doors also repeat the attribution to the Marquis d'Aragona, while proud mottoes adorn the other two doors. The hall is entirely decorated with white stuccoes, and is enriched by a rich polychrome caisson ceiling and stained glass panels.

The Hall of the Spanish Plates

The outstanding characteristic of this salon is the ceiling, which has many gold-plated ceramic dishes set into the polychrome stucco decorations.

The Hall of Love
This salon is dedicated to the most famous couples of chivalric literature (Clorinda and Tancredi, Lancelot and Guinevere, Tristan and Iseult, and so on), whose names are written in gold among the elaborate white stucco decorations, while other inscriptions praise the power of love.

The Hall of the Lilies

Decorated with stuccoes, ceramics and stained glass panels, the hall is named for the heraldic lilies which enhance the columns.

The Hall of the Oath
This hall is also decorated with stuccoes and ceramics, and is named for the ancient feudal oath which bound the Aragona family to their sovereign, inscribed above the fireplace.

THE PARK
The park is a vital component of the property, and is identified in the official territorial development maps (Variante di P.R.G.) as P.T.S. (Parco Territoriale di Sammezzano). The total area is approximately 65,000 hectares. The Marquis Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona did not limit his efforts to the reconstruction of the castle, which included noteworthy additions to the artistic and historical treasures harboured there, but also dedicated his attention to the surrounding park where rare species from the United States and the Near East were implanted. One of the largest in Italy, this park has not undergone substantial changes: over the years maintenance has been constant and the overall distribution of the species has been respected.

Many of the plants are of particular interest to botanists, such as the group of Sequoie Sempervirens which is unique in Italy, the Chamaegy Paris Lawsoniane and the Atlantic cedars at the castle entrance.

THE COTTAGES

The Guardian's House
Located at the entry from state route 69 (Florence-Arezzo), the one-story house is built of traditional stone masonry and has a pavilion roof with terracotta roofing tiles. It is currently inhabited by the guardian's family.

Quartaio
This construction is located on the private estate road which parts from the intersection of Via Garibaldi and Via XXV Aprile in the "Il Leccio" village. Two stories, built of traditional stone masonry, it has a central dovecote tower. The saddle and hip roofs are covered with terracotta tiles. The ground floor rooms are currently used for storage and wine-cellar; the first floor is a farm residence.

The Hunting Lodge
The lodge is located on the estate entry road, on a small hill which can be reached by two independent access ramps. A very handsome construction, the architectural elements include numerous references to the castle itself. The building has a basement and three stories above ground, united by a semicircular stairwell facing the entrance. Battlements surround the pavilion roof covered with terracotta tiles. Two wings complete the construction: one leads to the closed court while the other is a garage.

Canteen
This is located between the hunting lodge and the castle. Built of traditional stone masonry, it also includes decorative elements which refer to the castle.

Borghetto Pirelli Cottage
This cottage is located on the private estate road which leads to the state highway. It is not far from the new hotel, which is still incomplete (concrete structure only). The cottage has two stories and is built of traditional stone masonry, with hip and saddle roofs covered with terracotta tiles. It is not currently inhabited.

Sociana Cottage "A"
Not far from the cemetery, where the Aragona family chapel is located, and the S. Maria a Sociana church, this two story cottage is built of traditional stone masonry with hip roof and terracotta roofing tiles. Somewhat degraded, it is not currently inhabited.

Sociana Cottage "B"

This cottage is near Sociana Cottage "A". Two stories, built of traditional stone masonry, it features noteworthy architectural details such as the roof and the external stair. It is not currently inhabited.

Marnia Clubhouse
Not far from the Marnia Torrent, this group of three buildings is also quite close to the Sammezzano S.p.A. property boundary. The oldest construction is the watch tower, which is united to a two story construction. The third building, also a two story construction, is not connected to the previous two. The traditional stone masonry is partially stuccoed, with the roof elements at various heights. None of the three buildings is currently inhabited.

The New Residence
The new building was intended to provide hotel accommodations, but is quite flexible because the structure was designed with a limited number of vertical elements, wide spans and a panoramic terrace roof.