Il Palazzaccio

The first historical mention of this watchtower of the Conti Guidi to defend and toll the Varco di Reggello dates back to 900AD. With frescoes from the 14th century. Property of about 300 square meters, newly renovated with ventilated fireplaces, air conditioners in the rooms with 6 beds, 3 bathrooms, large fenced garden of about 10,000 square meters, parking, swimming pool 13x6 mq for the exclusive use of guests and other detailed information you can read in the full text of the site. The space If in addition to a splendid holiday, you want to enjoy an experience in the past just 35km from Florence, this could be an excellent opportunity: The first historical mention of this watchtower of the Guidi Counts "to defend and toll the Reggello Pass" dates back to 900 AD. Over the course of its history it then passed to the monastery of the Vallombrosana Congregation around 1300, a period to which the frescoes now protected by crystal cases date back. The construction still has thick walls which in some areas reach up to a meter thick. The property has been owned by our family since 1936, when my ancestor Doctor Gino Castelli purchased it and began its conservative restoration. Next to this residence there is a small oil mill which remained in operation until the frost of 1985 with temperatures as low as -25°C, which unfortunately marked the end of Doctor Castelli's agricultural company. Of the almost 5,000 olive trees distributed across the property's fields, only a few dozen remained which, fortunately, grew back within five-six years and returned to producing their precious fruit! Despite the passage of time and modern agricultural techniques, my wife and I, together with our daughters, decided to move to the countryside very close to this historic residence, to continue to carry forward my ancestor's dream and to put into practice my father's teachings about the countryside, wine, oil and honey. The residence of approximately 300m2 has just been refreshed and the various modern comforts such as air conditioning, wi-fi system, heating, video surveillance, comfortable mattresses, safe have been optimized... always respecting the architecture and history of the property, which is spread over two floors . On the ground floor we find a veranda that leads into a large kitchen divided by a large fireplace that separates the stove area from the dining area. Subsequently you enter a living room of approximately 50m2 with large and comfortable sofas. In addition to the fireplace in the kitchen, there are two other ventilated fireplaces that can be used in winter to cook roasted chestnuts or simply create a wonderful relaxing atmosphere. On the first floor there are four bedrooms, two doubles and two singles and three bathrooms. To complete it, there are two reading or board game environments which give access to the various rooms with bookcases full of volumes on medicine, architecture, literature or typical Tuscan recipes and aromatic and spontaneous herbs. In the furnishings, some antique pieces that belonged to our family have been kept, various porcelains, paintings and ornaments that we wanted to keep in their original environment, collected in some showcases, to share these small pieces of history with our guests and friends. Inevitable in this type of old stately homes, the cellar with the original lock, which contains the ancient oil jars as well as the new containers where we store our precious seasonal olive oil and which we will be happy to let you taste and then enjoy during your stay. The property, part of the entire Villa, has its own independent entrance which opens onto a large garden with centuries-old oak and cypress trees and a large lime tree, around which you will find comfortable outdoor sofas, to rest while looking at the unique landscape. Also in the garden, under a pergola of yellow roses, there is the barbecue area with a table for outdoor lunch and dinner, under a large umbrella; and where you can also appreciate the typical Tuscan cuisine prepared for you by one of our experts who you can contact during your stay, if you wish. For the exclusive use of guests, a 13m x 6m swimming pool is available, with a changing room, bar area and bathroom. The swimming pool is open from May to September but also has a cover that allows it to be used, weather permitting, even in Spring and Autumn. For barbecue lovers, also in this context, there is a wood-fired oven for pizzas and a brazier for grilling. The house is located at 520m above sea level, in a key position to admire the Arno Valley, showing a fantastic glimpse into the Tuscan countryside. The surrounding land, with "ruffled fields" is cultivated with olive trees; where the cultivated land ends, the chestnut, pine, fir and beech woods begin and in Autumn and late Spring, if the weather and climatic conditions are favourable, it is possible to go looking for porcini mushrooms and many other species and it is possible to reach them on foot. also a stream where you can still find, if lucky, trout. In addition, we could organize seasonal activities by agreeing them together, such as the grape harvest or olive harvest. Registration Details IT048035B5QZTZN88N