Il castello di Bisarno è un edificio storico di Firenze, situato in via di Badia a Ripoli, vicino alla chiesa di San Piero in Palco.
Storia e descrizione
Ebbe origine come fortilizio duecentesco, situato nella zona delle "lame", i rigagnoli e fossi confluenti all'Arno, che dovevano formare una variante del letto del fiume detta appunto "Bisarno".

A metà del Trecento apparteneva ai Bardi, e di quell'epoca restano alcune decorazioni interne a motivi geometrici e floreali, oltre ad alcuni pilastri ottagonali in pietra che spuntano da alcune pareti e alcuni soffitti lignei a travi su mensole di quercia.

Poi passò ai Biliotti e, nel Cinquecento, ai Capponi (il cui stemma si vede sulla cancellata), che intrapresero importanti lavori di ampliamento e ammodernamento.

Dotato di una merlatura di tipo guelfo, in parte originale e in parte di restauro, il castello venne abitato dallo scienziato ed esploratore Odoardo Beccari, che vi impiantò alcune essenze rare ancora esistenti. Dal 1869 al 1880 fu sede dell'ambasciatore inglese James Hudson.



Castello di Bisarno

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Il castello di Montalbano, o rocca Tedalda, è un monumento medievale fiorentino, radicalmente modificato nel corso dei secoli, situato sulla sponda destra dell'Arno, nella zona di Rovezzano.
Origine del nome
Il primo nome del castello di Montalbano fu rocca de' Tedaldi, in quanto apparteneva alla nobile famiglia fiesolana dei Tedaldi ed aveva l'aspetto di una tipica roccaforte medievale. Dal suo antico nome prende origine una delle strade principali della zona, che arriva proprio in prossimità dell'edificio. Solo successivamente venne chiamato castello di Montalbano, anche in seguito alle profonde modificazioni avvenute nel corso della sua lunga storia. Tale appellativo è indubbiamente riferito al colle su cui giace (e da cui prende nome anche la via che conduce proprio al suo ingresso). Tale colle è, infatti, rivolto verso est, quindi il sole sorge alle sue spalle (monte Albano, il monte dell'alba). Nel corso del '900 è stato chiamato anche villa di Montalbano, sebbene l'epiteto di castello sia quello che, ancora, gli si addice di più.

Castello di Montalbano (Firenze)

Vincigliata Castle (Italian: Castello di Vincigliata) is a medieval castle which stands on a rocky hill to the east of Fiesole in the Italian region of Tuscany. In the mid-nineteenth century the building, which had fallen into a ruinous state, was acquired by the Englishman John Temple-Leader and entirely reconstructed in the feudal style.

Between 1941 and 1943 it served as a small prisoner-of-war camp known as Castello di Vincigliata Campo P.G. 12. It housed some high-ranking British and Commonwealth officers, including Major-General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, who was employed by the Italian government in the Armistice negotiations with the Allies in 1943.
Original castle
The 13th-century castle located on a hill north of Florence close to Fiesole is medieval in origin. It was once the ancient stronghold of the Visdomini family, important Florentine nobility since the 11th century. They enjoyed special privileges from the Florentine bishops. A son of the family John Gualbert, a Benedictine monk, was canonized in 1193 by Pope Celestine III. The property then passed to the Usimbardi family, (which introduced glass production to Florence) followed by the Ceffini of Figline.

They soon sold it to the Buonaccorsi banking family. In the general crash of Florentine banks in 1345 (bad debts by King Edward III of England for his Battle of Crécy and Battle of Poitiers (1356) campaigns) it was purchased by Niccolo, son of Ugo degli Albizi, a wealthy mercantile family. A branch of this family, for reasons of political expediency renamed Alessandri, occupied the castle for some three hundred years.

After the fall of the Republic, the Alessandri family still kept up their palace in the city, but the castle was allowed to drift into decay, till by the year 1637 only the Lord Francesco lived there with a 10-year-old son, Giovani Antonio, and a maiden aunt of 70. The ruins and land were sold in 1827 to Lorenzo di Bartolommeo Galli da Rovezzano  They became a source of interest to writers and artists during the romantic era, as evidenced by an Emilio Burci sketch dated 1836.
John Temple-Leader
John Temple-Leader , as a young Whig politician, suddenly abandoned a parliamentary career for the continent. In the early 1840s after several years in Cannes, he moved to Florence, taking a house in the Piazza Pitti. He became a friend of Georgio Barbera, a Florentine publisher and supporter of the unification of Italy. Later he purchased Fiesole's Villa di Maiano and joined Tuscany's sizeable English expatriate community. Whilst exploring the hills of Fiesole, the Englishman came upon the overgrown ruin of Castello di Vincigliata. He fell in love with it and decided to restore it to its former glory.

Over 15 years, the castlewas reconstructed in the neo-Gothic style from the ground up. With the help of a young architect, Giuseppe Fancelli, it became a romantic vision of a feudal fortress. He also bought the surrounding land, more than seven hundred acres in the space of fifty years, began the delicate task of reclaiming it and restoring the houses and villas. He created the Bosco di Vincigliata, planting cypresses in the rocky areas where nothing else would grow, with pines and all the various shrubs and bushes one finds in a typical central Italian woodland; in short, an English romantic garden on a huge scale. People flocked from afar to visit his castle and admire the grounds, and he was extremely pleased when The Illustrated London News printed an engraving of Queen Victoria doing a watercolour of the Giardino delle Colonne, a pretty pool fed by the Mensola creek, during her visit in 1893.

Henry James wrote of the castle: "This elaborate piece of imitation has no superficial use; but, even if it were less complete, less successful, less brilliant, I should feel a reflective kindness for it. So handsome a piece of work is its own justification; it belongs to the heroics of culture."

The gate of the castello is flanked by two stone lions and leads into an Italian garden with a fountain and a sunken cloister. Originally there were many Gaetano Bianchi (1819–1892) frescoes of scenes from the lives of the various families that owned Vincigliata, but only one has survived, Ugolino de'Visdomini invoking the Virgin before marching against the Sienese. In 1889 he published the definitive record on Sir John Hawkwood, an English mercenary (or condottiero) active in 14th-century Italy. Sir John married late in life and died in Florence in 1903, without heirs. He left all his properties, including the Castello di Vincigliata to his great nephew Richard Luttrell Pilkington Bethell, 3rd Baron Westbury, who sold it off piecemeal, and his art collection was scattered.



Vincigliata Castle

Il castello di Quarate si trova nell'omonima località frazione di Bagno a Ripoli, in provincia di Firenze.
Storia
Prima che venisse eretto il castello, dovette esistere nel sito un fortilizio romano, da cui deriva il nome della zona, un castrum detto centuria quadrata, che probabilmente fu recuperato e ampliato in epoca longobarda, come farebbe pensare l'intitolazione della vicina chiesa a san Michele Arcangelo. Le prime notizie ufficiali sul castello si trovano in un documento del 1098.

Fu possesso della famiglia dei Quaratesi, che ne riprese il nome. In una descrizione del 1346 viene ricordato come il castello facesse parte dei beni indivisi di tutti i rami della famiglia, e viene descritto come "una casa a pie' detta della torre", dotata di cortina muraria e con un fossato almeno su di un lato. Nella porta di accesso alla corte fu ritrovata una pergamena commemorativa: «Questa porta fàcione fare madonna Oretta e madonna Camilla, figliole di Andrea Quaratesi, l'anno 1523 del mese di septembre, quando fuggirono la morìa di Quarata. Lavoròlla mastro Battista legnaiolo a Monte et è la porta d'olmo». Vi si ricorda cioè come la famiglia si fosse rifugiata in campagna durante una delle periodiche ondate di peste in città.

Dal 1534 passò per le mani di altri proprietari.

Nella struttura oggi residenziale si nota la struttura duecentesca, a pianta rettangolare, dotato di corte centrale. Vi spiccano una torre priva della sommità, sul lato nord-occidentale, e una seconda isolata, a poche decine di metri, a basa quadrata e costruita in pietra arenaria, con un ulivo singolarmente cresciuto sulla sua sommità, che le ha valso il nome di "torre dell'ulivo". Sono visibili inoltre scarsi resti delle mura che cingevano il colle.

A poca distanza si trova la cappella di San Michele Arcangelo, che fu parrocchia fino al XV secolo ed oggi è stata ritrutturata.

Castello di Quarate 

Right in the hills of Chianti Rufina Tuscany is less than 25 kilometers from Florence in a tranquil and picturesque setting Castello del Trebbio, an impressive castle from the 12th century with a glorious history. Upon arriving at the 350 acre property you will be warmly welcomed by the host Alberto who can tell you on a tour about the history of the castle.

Overnight in one of the authentic country while overlooking the hills of olive trees, vineyards and woods. The original Tuscan houses are beautiful traditional restored with modern comfort. The castle itself is still inhabited by the owners family Baj Macario. Obviously Castello del Trebbio offers you the opportunity to come taste the wine and olive oil. Also, the monitoring of cooking courses among the possibilities.

Castello del Trebbio

The Castello di Volognano is a historical castle that dates back to the 11th century, built in a dominating lookout position over the surrounding territories, surrounded by mediaeval woodlands which approach the boundaries of the castle. Precisely restored, the castle is furnished with antique furniture, some of which is of notable value, in perfect harmony with the style of the manor.

The outdoor areas are well maintained and consist of a small Italian garden and a swimming pool which has the notable attraction of having been partly built inside an ex-lemon conservatory and partly outdoors.

Volognano (a name of Etruscan or possibly Roman extraction) Castle was a stronghold of the Quona family, of Longobard origin, and watched over one side of the ancient road from Arezzo to Fiesole. Lapo of Castiglionchio, a friend of the poet Francesco Petrarca, wrote: the Quona "kept Volognano together with great possession, with the faithful, with vassals, and with jurisdiction".
In 1968 the present owners, the Pecchioli family, purchased it. The old Castle is still present in fragments of the walls, two doors and the 'decapitated' tower which forms part of the actual building; it is an elegant, stately villa, enlightened both by a graceful garden and even more so by the extensive panorama which unfolds on all sides.

http://www.rentinginitaly.com

Castello di Volognano

The Castello di Sezzate presents some of the typical features of a mediaeval castle. Firstly, its position at the mouth of a valley justifies its existence on the military level. Secondly, it comprises two groups of structures, one for the residence of the lords (the "caisson"), and the other for the population concentrated in the village huddled under the walls and that had a parish church dedicated to San Martino.

Worthy of note are some arrow slots (long and narrow, vertical slits in the walls to allow secure defensive archery). These have recently been restored, along with some scaffolding holes (slots in the vestment to support wooden scaffolding during construction and repairs).

The escarpment visible at the base of the Castello di Sezzate is likely to be a later addition with the purposes both to provide defence against cannon fire and to reinforce the solidity of the building.

Originally owned by the Alamanni family, the Castello di Sezzate later passed into the hands of the Guidi, the major representatives of the Empire in this part of Tuscany, and because of this open political alignment of its lords, the castle became involved, during the 13 C, in clashes between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. As a result, the castle of Sezzate suffered damage that did not, however, compromise its vital functions, including, once again in the early 14 C, a market in the vicinity of the castle intended for a clientele of relatively large area (from Strada in Chianti to Rubbiana).

After securing the functions of a "noble"residence for the Florentine Bardi family, who also owned the neighbouring fortress of Mugnana, like many counterparts, this structure was destined to become a habitation for the peasantry, divided into units and then undergoing a progressive abandonment, until it was restored in recent decades. By removing the plaster from most of the walls and eliminating some later accretions to the building of the mediaeval period, this restoration has brought to light the original mediaeval walls.

The Castle of Sezzate can be accessed easily on foot from the Cintoia - La Panca - Greve road, by following the public walking path no. 18 of the Italian Alpine Club, which is part of the so-called "Cintoia ring" and which leads to the castle over a mediaeval bridge crossing the Sezzate creek. Immediately below the castle, following the path through a beautiful olive grove, you can admire both the wonderful grove itself and the imposing castello buildings, and enjoy a panoramic view to the north and the basin where Florence is situated.

https://www.la-panca.com

Castello di Sezzate

The medieval Mugnana castle is 16 km from Florence, surrounded by woodland and olive-groves, and dominates an unspoiled valley, that was once one of the accesses to Florence. The tall stone tower and the high walls date back to the 10th century, while the main body of the castle, the loggias, the courtyard and the gardens are 13th century. The private chapel was added in the 17th century.
Today in the castle and in the tower can sleep up to 25 people, and the location offers all comforts for weddings and ceremonies (up to 200 people seated for dinner, both inside in the saloons, as well as outside in the courtyard or in the garden).
Thank to its architectural value, it has been awarded for its careful renovation. Today it is officially recognized as "Residenza d'Epoca" and it is member of the "Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane".

https://www.residenzedepoca.it

Castello di Mugnana

Castello di Nipozzano is a wine estate in Chianti, one of several in Tuscany owned by the major Italian wine producer Marchesi de Frescobaldi. The winery makes Sangiovese from the Chianti Rufina sub-region, but is also known for its early plantings of non-regional varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon for use in IGT wines. The Nipozzano property is characterized by the 11th-Century castle that now houses the winery's cellar and barrel room.

The property covers 626 hectares (1547 acres) of land in the mountainous part of Chianti Rufina above the Arno river. It has 240ha under vine at elevations between 820 and 1300 feet above sea level. Nipozzano is known both for its Chianti DOCG wines and its Toscana IGT wines, many of which are sourced from, and carry, single-vineyard labels.

The wines of Nipozzano appear in historical records dating as far back as the Renaissance and include the mention of significant figures – such as the artist Donatello – being patrons of the estate. It was one of the first wine estates owned by the Frescobaldi family, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in the mid-19th Century, at a time when those varieties were foreign to Tuscany.

https://www.wine-searcher.com

Castello di Nipozzano 

In the land survey presented by Tommaso Soderini in 1464 to the ‘Offi cials’ of the Land
Registry of the Republic of Florence, it was noted that wine and oil were the most highly
prized produce of the estate.
The construction of the cellars, whose vaulted structure demonstrates their use for wine
production, was begun in 1124. In that epoch, the castle belonged to one of the most
important banking families of Florence, the Bardi, who, in the second half of the thirteenth
century, began the extension of the fortress by building perimeter walls and battlements
in the typical Guelph style of the era.
 The castle remained in the possession of the Bardi until the early part of the 15th century,
when it passed to the Soderini family, one of the most politically infl uential families in
Florence. It was the Soderini who were responsible for the conversion of the turreted
manor house of Gabbiano in Fattoria, already completed by the late 15th century,
according to the description in the “land survey” presented in 1480 by the father of Pier
Soderini, Tommaso, to the Land Registry “Offi cials” of the Land Registry of the Republic
of Florence.
In the course of the century, new buildings were added on several occasions, as can be
deduced from the stonework, which reveals various phases of development, until it was
converted into a large quadrilateral building, which also formed a kind of private fortalice,
being furnished with four cylindrical turrets reinforcing the corners.
It was while in the possession of the Soderini that the Castle was converted into a
structure more like the present one, with the construction in 1505 of round towers at the
four corners of the castle, displaying French architectural infl uence. When the Soderini’s
struggle against the Medici led to them being declared rebels in the 16th century and
banned from Florence, the Castle was abandoned for a long time. Only in the 17th century,
when the Soderini were able to return to their homeland, was the Castle given new life,
as the inscription on a sandstone plaque over the entrance door informs us.
 Under the two coats of arms of the Sorderini, the following is inscribed: “FRANC.
SODERINUS SENAT.GASP.F.RURIS HUIUS IN FAMIGLIA RESTITUTOR SUB.A MDCLII”
Above the coats of arms lies the motto that was dictated by Pier Soderini on the occasion
of his election as gonfalonier, or standard bearer, which reads “IUS UT PALMA FLO”
(“Iustus ut palma fl orebit”).
 From the 19th century onwards, the families who owned the property carried out various
restoration works, fully respecting the features of the architectural complex of the Castle.
In the complex of buildings annexed to the castle, there is the neo-classical style private
chapel which was built in the 19th century under the ownership of the Del Turco family,
according to an inscription inside the little church dating from the restoration works in
1957 by the Lemmi.

https://www.castellogabbiano.it

Castello di Gabbiano

Tucked away into the hills of Arezzo lies the magic Castello di Galbino, a large and welcoming family castle surrounded by seemingly endless fields and hills covered olive groves and woods.

The castle has a basic square shape with a raised central section and four round towers on the corners. Elegant arched loggias with stone columns, added during its renaissance period conversion, run along two sides.

The glazed loggia with frescoed vaulted ceilings leads onto a small chapel. It is the perfect place for spending a lazy afternoon. The light filters through the sheer curtains. The main dining room has French windows onto the terrace and the garden with yet another table and chairs for outdoor meals. The twin bedroom with frescoed ceilings is probably the most beautiful bedroom in the castle. But all bedrooms have a special feature, be it painted beams or antique furniture, and all of them are decorated with a cotton weave made by the local firm Busatti, which has shops all over the world.

The garden melts into the surrounding landscape, inviting to long walks. The pool lies a little above the house. The long pool lies a little above the house and has soaring views of the enchanting landscape of Tuscany.

https://www.trustandtravel.com