Historic castle on the outskirts of Florence

This historic property is situated in the municipality of Impruneta, on the top of a hillock overlooking the Via Chiantigiana, at the gates of Florence and comprises a charming castle, a house for the housekeeper and a consecrated medieval church for a total of about 2100 sq.m of buildings and about 8 ha of land. Access is through a fascinating fortified entrance, where also the housekeeper’s house is located. A cypress-lined avenue leads to the top of the hill, where the castle walls and the medieval church stand. Entering through the castle gate, we find ourselves in the Italian garden, from which the imposing castle can best be admired. The oldest nucleus is the high tower at the centre of the property, which was built in the year 980 for defensive purposes, and later, around 1550, was extended and converted into an elegant villa. Inside there are many richly decorated rooms, with magnificent old terracotta floors, frescoed vaults and inlaid wooden ceilings decorated in gold. There are currently 13 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, but it is possible to have many more. There are also two charming terraces and two historic loggias, one of which overlooks an internal courtyard with an exciting view of the Chianti hills. In the basement there are large cellars and some storage rooms. The castle is a splendid blend of different epochs, a 'manual of art history' that winds its way through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque and 19th/20th-century renovations, rich in paintings and frescoes of inestimable value, and with a thousand curiosities, from fake walls concealing secret rooms to tunnels dug under the castle for escape in the event of siege. It is currently used as a private residence on the second floor, on the first floor there are accommodations for short rentals, and the rooms on the ground floor are used for events and ceremonies.