Castello di Sammezzano: True Architectural Marvel That Stood the Test of Time

Surrounded by an oak tree grove and situated on the top of a hill, the abandoned Sammezzano Castle is an extravagant residence beyond comparison.

Vivid colors and geometric decorations, arched doorways and bas-reliefs, Corinthian columns, and mystical symbols come together in a spectacular game of contrasts.

The walls were decorated with brightly painted, in some applications areas with marble and glazed ceramics, carved pieces of tile, stone and stucco metal. The ceilings coffered.

Approximately 25 kilometers southeast of Florence, standing amid a 185-hectare park in the municipality of Reggello, rises a magnificent castle, a prime example of Moorish art in Italy: the Castello di Sammezzano.

Castle of Sammezzano is an Italian palazzo in Tuscany featuring Moorish Revival architectural style. Its facade is reminiscent Taj Mahal and inside the rooms are decorated with stucco, apparently inspired by The Alhambra of Granada.

It was built in 1605 with funds from Spanish nobility for Ximenes of Aragon. Then it was inherited by Ferdinand Panciatichi Ximenes and re-designed between 1853 and 1889. In 1878 he also hosted the King of Italy Umberto I. After the Second World War, Sammezzano Castle was used as a luxury hotel with apartments, spa, golf, and country club until its closure in the 1990s. Despite some urgent restoration work in 1999, it has been largely abandoned and closed to the public. 

One of Tuscany's hidden gems.

To perform the work it took forty years Panciatichi Ferdinando Ximenes was inspired by travel books, particularly in Britain, which at that time were circulating in Europe.

Composed of 365 rooms, one for each day of the year, the castle has a long history. The more famous rooms are the Peacock Room with colorful geometric designs, the White Room with its Moroccan mosaic tiled floors, the Hall or Mirrors and the octagon Smoking Room.

Will the public ever again be able to share in this amazing piece of architecture?