Sammezzano Castle near Florence, with its unique 365 rooms, to shine again?

This is the Castello di Sammezzano, an architectural jewel in Leccio, a hamlet of Reggello, in the province of Florence. It has been in a dire state for three decades, awaiting the much-needed restoration that would save it for many generations to come.

The original palazzo was built in 1605 by Ximenes of Aragon, a Spanish nobleman. In the 19th century, Ferdinand Panciatichi Ximenes inherited the property and, between 1853 and 1889, transformed it into one of the greatest examples of Moorish Revival architecture. It was a successful experiment on a grand scale. Sammezzano has 365 rooms (one for each day of the year), each with a unique Moorish decoration.

It was a true masterpiece of design, architecture, colors, charm and inspired film directors to set their movies there. Not only that, but also commercials, photo shoots, clips and, of course, countless weddings.

But that was back in the days when Sammezzano was still a 5-star luxury hotel with a fine restaurant. In May 2024, the castle hosted the shooting of the new "Sandokan" with the Turkish actor Can Yaman - it shone again, but only for a moment.

Sammezzano served as a luxury hotel in the post-World War II era, but it has been closed since 1990 and there have been numerous attempts to reopen it. So far, all have failed.

Late last year, a large Florentine family was said to be ready to buy the Castello. The family plans to save the abandoned architectural gem, restore it and open it to the public.

«We are thrilled to announce that a proposal for an agreement has been officially presented for the purchase of the Sammezzano Castle», the Save Sammezzano Committee said last year.

The Moretti family is no stranger to saving Florentine artistic and cultural heritage, as it was Giorgio Moretti who was behind the Angeli del Bello Foundation. How much will the extensive work to restore the castle to its former glory cost? Well, a few years ago the estimates were between 60 and 80 million euros.