About Us
We are a family owned business dedicated to providing a truly unique Tuscan retreat for the world to enjoy. The sights, the smells, the sounds of ancient Tuscany are right here.
Simple. Elegant. Earthy. Real.
That's the Castello life.
Our History
The first foundation stones of the castello di Santa Maria Novella were laid in the 10th century on a hilltop 408m above sea level. It is surrounded by centuries-old oak woodland and Chianti vineyards.
The Castello’s strategic position meant that for centuries it was Florence’s last surviving bastion in the continuing battles with Siena. When the Castello eventually stopped serving as a fortress, it became a grand home of noble Florentine families such as the Gianfiglazzi, the Acciaiuoli and the Carnesecchi.
Today, after more than a thousand years, the Castello is a vibrant place, hosting guests from all over the world, and it continues to function as a quintessential Tuscan farm, producing high quality Chianti wine and olive oil.
Our Vision
We arrived in 1987, two brothers and our families, ready to take on the 1000 year old Castello and bring it back to life. The more than 900 years of history and passing of time were evident; there was major restoration and preservation work to be done! It took five years of strenuous and exacting work with a team of architects, builders and local artisans to restore it, and five more to bring the estate back to producing Chianti wine and Extra Virgin Olive Oil as it used to.
We sought to bring the old to new life by meeting modern needs while honouring history. So, whatever we could retain of the past we did and whatever needed to be adopted of the present we did. A sound and loving restoration projected the Castello into the future giving it a fair chance to live on many more decades. Once completed, we opened its main doors to friends and guests. We wanted to do that by maintaining a family and informal atmosphere where we could all relax and share: that is what we think we have achieved. You can come and check it out!
Our Services
From our first arrival at the castello, we knew that this would be a place to share and we set out to design it in such a way that guests could feel at home in this majestic building.
Our purpose is to provide the best possible Tuscan experience for our guests with a friendly and professional service ensures that needs are met and dreams fulfilled.
The Castello restoration – a labour of love
The wholistic restoration began in 1988.
Local structural engineers, craftsmen and artisans collaborated to bring the Castello into the 21 century .
Original decorative details were documented and recreated.
Careful detail was given to ensure structural authenticity.
