castle in siena
DESCRIPTION
Amazing castle in Siena.TRANSCRIPT
General Description
Imagine living in a palace facing a picturesque village square on one side and an endless tableau of Tuscan hills on the other. This imposing 17th-century palazzo, built over the ruins of an ancient castle, comes with an inner courtyard and a five acre park complete with a variety of seating areas and a beautifully positioned pool set 200 yards away.
Having two nearby restaurants, one in a separate wing of the palace, and a coffee shop across the square means not skipping a meal when you just don't feel like cooking. When you don't feel like driving, dawn-to-dusk bus service, 200 yards away, leads to Siena in 25 minutes.Inside, the layout and décor reflect the villa's illustrious past. Furnishings from each era are set against family heirlooms. A cannon and medieval armaments line the main hall. The staircase, adorned with portraits of Italy's most noted artists, leads to rooms brimming with frescoes, paintings and gorgeous views.Living space arcs across four different rooms of varying sizes. The main dining area comfortably seats all and an equally capacious medieval refectory doubles as a charming gathering spot. Bathrooms, either en suite or adjacent, are present for each bedroom. The bedrooms, many added over time, come in a variety of styles and shapes. Many overlook the park and the hills of Siena. Nine are on the second floor and have screened windows with the exception of one with a French balcony.This balconied bedroom and five others are air conditioned. The kitchen, while adequate, is dated and small.
Accessed from an inner courtyard and exclusively for guest use is a secret spa. Ancient brick archways and vaulted ceilings hidden on a level beneath the villa reveal three deliciously sensual rooms offering a Turkish steam bath, a color and aromatherapy hot tub, a pair of exquistely tiled, couples showers, a massage table and a relaxing set of chaise lounges
HISTORY
Castles represented at that time the centre of military, family, economic, and social life. They were also used to stock all the harvest (or part of it) that the losers had to pay as a tribute (“terzia”) to the winners. “La Sala”, the name given to the village of Sovicille at the beginning of the 11th century further testifies the presence of Longobards in that area. Various different cultures, -Etruscans, Romans, Germanics – succeded in the village up till the year one thousand (1004). From that date on, till mid 12th century, the castle appears as property of the Serena Abbey.
Sovicille and its castle are mentioned in a note written by Pope Alessandro III to Ugo, Bishop of Volterra on April 23, 1179. In that note “Sufficillum” is described as the external board of the
Volterra diocese. The note written by Clemente III on April 20, 1189, listing castles, churches, and villages to be passed to Bono, Bishop of Siena, contains the Sovicille Castle (“Castellum de Sovicille”).
The first documents regarding the city-state organization of Siena Republic are dated 1237-38. A document dated December 30, 1237 reports that citizens gathered “under bells ring” to set up the constitution of their village, together with Mr Guido Palmieri. During the 14th century, the castle was devastated several times as a consequence of wars. In 1313 it was devastated by the troops of Arrigo VII of Luxembourg, who marched on Siena, while in 1333 it was ruined by Pisan troops during the conflict between Siena and Pisa.
The castle was then restructured in 1365 and in 1479. The prosperous city-state of Sovicille and its territory finally declined at the end of the 14th century, as a result of conflicts and incursions. The eigteenth-century palace as you can see it today was built on the ruins of the ancient Sovicille castle, and it incorporates part of the old castle walls.
The T-shaped palace is made up of a central body built on the ancient walls, showing a curvilinear structure, and an extended body that stretches out to the main square of the village. The part below the main building is characterized by a unique combination of particularly elegant, indented stairs that lead to the park.
The main access to the square consists of a typically classical loggia with arches and pilaster strips, dating back to the second half of the 16th century.
