Sammezzano, or the Castle of Sammezzano, is an Italian palazzo in Tuscany featuring Moorish Revival architectural style. It is located in Leccio, a hamlet of Reggello, in the Province of Florence.

Description
The original palazzo was erected in about 1605 by the Spanish nobleman Ximenes of Aragon. In the 19th century, Ferdinand Panciatichi Ximenes inherited the property and, between 1853 and 1889, remodeled it into one of the largest examples of Moorish Revival architecture. Umberto I, king of Italy, visited Ximenes at Sammezzano in 1878.

The palazzo served as a luxury hotel in the post World War II era; then was vacated and closed. A committee called FPXA 1813-2013, abbreviation for Ferdinand Panciatichi Ximenes d’Aragon, was organized in 2012 to attempt to restore and preserve the palazzo, which has 365 rooms, each with unique, Moorish decoration.

The Castle of Sammezzano

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Torre del Castellano in Reggello
La Torre del Castellano it is a medieval fortress placed to guard the northern entrance to the Upper Valdarno; in the last century the seat of a great one farm with cellars ed oil mill, today it is used to host private events thanks to the beautiful setting of its ramparts, the courtyard with arcades and halls with panoramic windows overlooking the valley.

The quadrangular plant construction is massive, made entirely of local alberese stone, with brickwork and sandstone decorations, is equipped with two towers joined by a thick wall curtain which delimits the courtyard inside, with two beautiful arcades with three arches supported by polygonal columns.

The white color of the stone and its dominant position make it clearly visible to anyone who passes through the Valdarno. It is only 20 km from Florence, easily reachable by car from the exit Incisa-Reggello of the motorway and its position makes it ideal for events that bring together participants from various parts of the country or for collateral activities at events based in Florence (gala dinners, workshop etc.).

The history of the Torre del Castellano
The history of the Torre del Castellano is uncertain in its origins, even if there is evidence of the control function in a strategic point for the intersection of the most important communication routes that united Fiesole before and Florence then ad Arezzo and Rome. In the Middle Ages it was part of the possessions of the Conti Guidi and their vassals and witnessed the war facts that affected the southern borders of the Florentine Republic.

The current structure has certainly been built around the original sighting tower, with protective functions and to house a small garrison, with subsequent extensions that have seen, among the most important interventions, the construction of internal walls, arcades and courtyard and, finally, in the fourteenth century, the transformation into stately villa with the opening of wider and more comfortable internal doors and large windows to the outside.

The current form is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, architect designer of many buildings in the area on behalf of Florence at the end of the thirteenth century and who also enjoyed the trust of the Guidi Counts. In the fifteenth century the castle passed to the Conti Castellani that in the area they had great properties and the current name originated in the period in which it belonged to this family. Then, like many fortified structures in the area, lost its strategic function, it experienced a slow decline and a progressive transformation into agricultural structure so that, at the end of the nineteenth century, it poured into conditions of abandonment and degradation such as to require an important restoration operation. This, initiated by the new owners between the two Wars, could only be concluded in the 1952. The restoration project was drawn up by the architect Guido Morozzi and implemented under the supervision of the Superintendency of Monuments presided over by Giovanni Poggi; the direction of the works was carried out by thearchitect Ferrero Garbati Pegna. In the 1944, during the passage of the war front, the rooms on the ground floor of the Torre del Castellano were used for the admission of important works of the Uffizi Museum and the walled doors to prevent looting.

The Torre del Castellano has also been the site of one big farm with cellars e oil mill that until 1945 was called Sant'Antonio and included over 20 farms with vines, olive trees, arable land and woodland in the area surrounding the castle, and once again the owners' home from 1943 up to 2002.
The majesty of the structure together with the good conditions make Torre del Castellano today a remarkable landscape reference point at the entrance to the Valdarno superior well recognizable both from the highway and from the railway line south of Florence.

Services: wedding locations and events in Tuscany
The main activity is the reception in the open spaces and in the internal ones for ceremonies and other public or private events. The type of reception for which the Torre del Castellano is more suited is that for feasts (anniversaries, weddings, etc.), for the presentation of products in the fields of art or fashion (exhibitions, parades, etc.) and for corporate events. The organization of lunches, buffet or simple appetizers is entrusted to companies of catering of various kinds, while tasting of wines local or particular is taken care of directly by the owners.
It is also possible receipt of small groups for a relaxing travel in winter, in front of a fireplace or in the courtyard and in the garden in the summer, and the meeting with experts of typical local products or visiting the production sites depending on the season.

In addition to the two halls inside the Torre del Castellano there is a large courtyard with two beautiful arcades that can be used for reception activity; the overall seats are therefore over 300 but in case of rain they are reduced to the 150 in the internal rooms because the courtyard is not covered.
Also in case of good weather, thelarge garden in front of the castle.

https://www.dimorestoricheitaliane.it

Torre del Castellano

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

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 

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 

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

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)

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

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

The Castle of Uzzano in its present form is essentially a typical Renaissance villa with a double-columned façade of white plaster and pietra serena. There are a few remains of the original rectangular mediaeval watch tower. The italianate garden was restored in the 18 C with the addition of a double staircase and some statues.
Uzzano was a castle of relatively small dimensions that, in 1269, was deprived of its towers and walls at the hands of the Ghibellines. However, these defences must have been reconstructed in the first half of the 14 C when Uzzano was recorded as a castle (castrum) associated with a parish church (pieve) named San Martino and endowed with a stone wall and a gate. It was depicted as such again at the end of the 16 C in a drawing executed for the Florentine magistracy of the Captains of the Guelphs, in order to be transformed into a villa during the course of the following century.
https://www.greve-in-chianti.com

Today it is possible to discern only a few features of the ancient fortifications incorporated into the huge new structure designed by Andrea di Cione, known as l'Orcagna, and successively reshaped and widened. The few remains are still imposing in their effects and consist of small blocks of sandstone placed in regular rows. The presence in an angular, truncated tower of small sandstone blocks, datable to between the second half of the 13 C and the first half of 14 C century, possibly corresponds to the successive reconstructions following the destruction of 1269. The bastion that supports and consolidates the lower part of the walls definitely constitutes a later addition. The windows opened through the walls are all of even more recent date.

The inner part of the Castello di Uzzano, which it is approached through a rusticated portal with round arches, coeval with the modern reconstruction of the entire complex, is rendered of great interest by the courtyard with porticos on four sides, finished with pietra serena pillars of remarkable elegance.

The castle of Uzzano is famous for having provided the family name of the celebrated Niccolò di Giovanni da Uzzano, who, in Florence in the first years of the 15 C, vainly opposed the unstoppable rise of Cosimo de' Medici.
