House, 4480 m²

Castel San Niccolò, Arezzo (province)

In the heart of Tuscany, in the municipality of Castel San Niccolò, stands this extraordinary historic property: an ancient medieval castle situated on a panoramic hill and surrounded by its walls.Its origins date back to the 11th century and are rooted in a previous Lombard castrum first mentioned in 1029. Passed on to the Guidi Counts in the 13th century, a historic Casentino family also mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy, the castle still preserves medieval and Renaissance elements of great value.Recognised as a national monument by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage in 1940, the castle was purchased in the 1970s by its current owners, who carefully restored it, preserving the Renaissance façades, the loggia and the surviving parts of the walls.The complex covers approximately 4,480 sqm and is surrounded by over 1,000 sqm of land.Over the centuries, due to numerous sieges, the two walls, the Gothic entrance gates and a portion of the building intended to house the owners have been lost.However, elements of extraordinary historical value remain perfectly preserved: the keep (central tower), the heart of the castle, houses four halls with period fireplaces, two of which have been completely restored and furnished with weapons and historical furniture, and two of which are awaiting restoration. In one of them, the famous “water torture” device, carved out of a stone niche, is still present, a rare testimony to medieval torture.Next to the keep stands the ancient prison, now converted into a kitchen, while in the right wing there is a refined reception hall embellished with a precious fresco of the Annunciation.The upper floor houses a bedroom with bathroom, and below there is a large basement.The upper part consists of additional spaces to be restored.Outside, there are a large square, an internal courtyard and a cistern for collecting rainwater.Thanks to its privileged location and unique architecture, the castle is ideal as a prestigious private residence or representative home. Alternatively, it could be transformed into an exclusive luxury resort, with the possibility of creating restaurants and common rooms on the lower floors and charming rooms on the upper floors.