Italy Castle CASTELLO CORTONA
Price On Request
Trasimeno Perugia Umbria Italy
11 + 9 Bedrooms 12 Bathrooms
Breathtaking views of Lake Trasimeno
The Castle is made up of 5 buildings in all: the main palazzo, the guest house, the private chapel, the prison and the car port.
History:
The origins of the Castle date back to the Etruscans, who erected this gorgeous fortress to protect themselves from their enemies’ attacks.
The boundary walls tell about Hannibal, who chose this place to fight the consul Caio Flaminio in 217 a.C., about CharleMagne, who was the first well known owner, about the Lord of Santa Maria, who received it as a present, about Federico Barbarossa who conquered it before the Ranieri Family.
But the first to became Lord of the Castle was Andrea di Giacomo di Montemelino who had been vested with the property rights by Pope Gregorio IX and whose family had possession of the castle until 1678.
Montemelino, of German origin, hosted and helped Federico II fight the Perugini , who finally destroyed the Castle.
In 1334 The Tarlati family, lords of Arezzo, conquered the Castle where in 1383 Fortebraccio da Montone will be hosted too.
Fifty years later the Casali, Lords of Cortona, bought it for 400 gold “fiorini” but they lost it in 1408, when Kind Ladislao di Napoli conquered both Montegualandro and Cortona.
Around one year time the Castle changes owner from Ladislao di Napoli to the Florentine forces first and then the Montemelinos.
In 1643 Ferdinando II De Medici, lord of Tuscany, occupied the Castle during the invasion of Stato Pontificio and then sold it for 13000 “scudi”.
The Castle also became fortress of the Napoleonic Empire, but finally came into the Ranieri family’s hands who transformed it into an farm estate whose production was famous and widely appreciated.
The road that linked Rome to Florence passed close to the Cortona Castle. This is the reason why famous artists like: Goethe, Byron and Hawthrone visited the Castle.
The Castle
Perhaps we could spend a lot more words to describe this precious thing, but the poet Giosuè Carducci enclosed his first impression when he saw it in 1877 in a few words saying it was a “falcon surveying its prey”.
Even though the structure has been revisited many times, especially because of all the historical events happened, the Castle still keeps its original circular structure with high boundary walls (Average height 8m), battlements, gunports, the walls’ curtain that is the main defence from outside, a wonderful church in grey stone and old terracotta, old watching towers and a prison.
The transformation from military fortress to luxury estate like it is now, has been operated by opening large windows on the buildings and by replacing the old drawbridge with a large iron gate.
The restoration has been carried out under the supervision of the Minister of Culture and according to modern anti-earthquake techniques.
Ceilings have been reinforced with concrete steel that warrantees to the entire structure the solidity of a brand new building without having changed it.
Structure
The Castle is made up of 5 buildings in all: the main palazzo, the guest house, the private chapel, the prison and the car port.
All the buildings have been made in grey stone.
Main Palazzo:
Disposed on five floors comprises: wide hall, guest’s house, workshop, keeper’s apartment, cellar and two bathrooms for guests on the ground floor.
On the first and second floor we find the owner’s apartment and on the third there’s a wide library with portraits’ gallery.
On the fourth floor, where the restoration has not been completed yet, it is possible
To create five further rooms with bathrooms.
Guests House:
Divided into four independent apartments with laundry room/closet. Still on this building there is an old oven.
Car Port:
Once used for horses, now is able to hold up to six cars.
St. Nicholas Church:
Dating back to 1230 is still consecrated.
Along the boundary wall lie four watching towers, one of which is suitable to create a lovely apartment with view on the lake.
The garden of 1500 square metres is set within the property walls . But the property also comprises 13 hectares of land including olive grove, pine wood, oak trees, holm-oaks, cypress trees and junipers.
There is the possibility of creating a pool, a heliport and also two additional buildings for a further 650 square metres.
A few kilometres from Cortona and Perugia, from the A1 and the railway Rome-Florence.
Price On Request
FURTHER DETAILS
TYPE Castle of Etruscan origins
CONDITION Perfectly renovated. Luxury finishes.
LOCATION Hillside. Breathtaking views on the lake Trasimeno and the Valley
MUNICIPALITY Trasimeno
PROVINCE Perugia
REGION Umbria
SIZE 1800 square metres (19000 square feet approx)
ROOMS 28
BEDROOMS 11 + 9
BATHROOMS 12
FEATURES Old boundary embattled walls, private chapel, ceilings with original wooden beams and terracotta tiles, brick built vaults, old stone fireplace, exposed bricks, old stone windows and doors surrounds, arches.
LAND 13 hectares including olive grove, pine woods, oak trees, holm-oaks, cypress trees and junipers.
GARDEN 1500 square metres of garden within the boundary wall
ANNEX Yes, three. A guest house (360 square metres), a car port (130 square metres) and the Church of Saint Nicholas which dates back to 1230. Helicopter landing field
ACCESS 500 m of white road in good condition
POOL No, but possible
ELECTRICITY Yes, both mono and tri-phase. Independent and separate systems in each unit. All with switch-board and anti short-circuit devices
WATER Three water systems: a private well 100 metres deep which supplies softened and purified water to apartments and living areas. Natural spring of water collected in a tank with 30 tons capacity and used to irrigate the garden. Two large cisterns located in the roof collect rain water which can be used to supply the owner’s apartment in case of black out. A water conditioner cleans toilets.
GAS Yes, gas tank (5000 litres) located under the ground and far from the buildings. Both the two gas pipes, those in PVC and those in copper, are protected by safety high-pressure valves.
HEATING Yes, independent heating in each building
TELEPHONE Yes, ISDN telephone line
Facilities (3km; 5’); Passignano sul Trasimeno (8km; 10’); Cortona (7km; 10’); Perugia (32km; 30’); Arezzo (37km; 45’); Assisi (50km; 46’); Siena (74km;50’); Firenze (110km; 1h 10’); Roma (200km; 2h).
NEAREST AIRPORTS Perugia Sant’Egidio (50km; 30’); Firenze Peretola (132km; 1h 19’); Forlì (156km; 2h 9’); Rimini Miramare (188km; 2h 21’); Pisa Galileo Galilei (224km; 2h 3’); Roma (208km; 2h 2’); Bologna Marconi (222km; 2h 3’).
Price On Request
For further details or to arrange a viewing please use the form below.
Luxury Real Estate Prestige Property
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