La dolce vita: Extraordinary Tuscan castle designed by the Florence Duomo architect comes with its own hamlet of 25 farmhouses

The 15th century manor has turrets, a clock tower and its own private chapel. 
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Jess Denham26 May 2018

Meghan Markle may be looking forward to a royal lifestyle after her wedding to Prince Harry, but the Californian duchess will now be at the mercy of our unpredictable British weather and it's why, when we dream of castles, we look to sunny Italy, where a 600-year-old manor is awaiting a buyer.

Designed in the early 15th century by the famous architect Filippo Brunelleschi for a noble family, this grand pile with walkable crenelated walls and turrets is one of the most beautiful in the Tuscany region.

Kings and popes have stayed here to host prestigious events – an epigraph in the reception hall commemorates Pope Paul III Farnese’s visit in 1541 – as up to 180 guests can be seated for sumptuous banquets surrounded by original frescoes.

Fascinating architectural details include a clock tower, a private chapel in the forest and an old water well for collecting rain water, once a secret underground passage out of the castle.

The quadruple-arched loggia overlooking manicured gardens and huge, Renaissance-style internal courtyard allow for making the most of balmy evenings while sipping on an ‘aperitivo’ or dining ‘al fresco’.

Set on top of a hill amid idyllic Tuscan countryside, the castle is surrounded by olive groves and vineyards that the estate produces extra virgin olive oil and prime wine from in its ancient wine cellars.

Dine al fresco: while away hours like the Italians in this fabulous internal courtyard

But the wonders don’t end there. Within the 1,200 hectares of grounds is a hamlet with an 18th-century villa and no fewer than 25 farmhouses ripe for renovation – all of which are included in the sale. There are also two lakes.

Dimitri Corti, president of Lionard Luxury Real Estate who are marketing the castle, claims it is “one of the most prestigious properties ever put up for sale”.

Don't forget to look up: awe-inspiring frescoes adorn the walls and ceilings

Doubters of its authenticity as a Brunelleschi building will be reassured to hear that Professor Massimo Ricci, one of the world’s most highly-respected experts on Brunelleschi’s architecture, has confirmed it.

In 1424, the Florentine Republic had put Brunelleschi in charge of designing and building military fortresses around the city of Florence, 45km away. He was already busy working on the Dome of Florence’s Cathedral (also known as the Duomo) but was the only person with reliable expertise on military fortifications at the time.

Lords who owned countryside castle-villas in the surrounding area were also forced to fortify their properties against enemy attacks, with Brunelleschi entrusted with guiding these developments.

This castle has been attributed to him as it is almost entirely made of bricks and built with the same “technique” he employed on the Dome.

Structures that would usually have been built with stones were built with brick, suggesting a mastery of the material that only Brunelleschi could boast of in the early 1400s.

Surveying the kingdom: a walkway surrounds the entire perimeter of the castle

The doors, windows, corbels and furnishings are all in his signature, inimitable style and the brother of the castle’s original owner supplied the lime and sand used to build the Dome, heavily hinting at a direct connection with Brunelleschi, who personally checked the cost and quality of all the materials he used.

But the proof, says Ricci, is in the peculiar walkway standing on a half-vault system. Such a daring structure would have been deemed certain to collapse. Only Brunelleschi could have designed a solution.

For more details and the price on application, call Lionard Luxury Real Estate on +39 055 0548100.

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