The Tuscan hills hide a real jewel of orientalist architecture. We are talking about the Sammezzano Castle, in Reggello, just 30 km away from Florence.
The villa as we can see it today dates back to the XIX Century. It was built by Marquis Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes D’Aragona, a great man of learning passionated about the Middle and Far East.
Interiors of the palace
The inner rooms of the building are organized into themes. The most famous is undoubtedly the dining room, also called “Sala dei Pavoni” (Peacocks Hall), of Indian inspiration. Its beauty leaves every guest speechless since it is decorated with countless arches and drawings of a thousand colors.
Another very popular part of the Castle is the “Sala Bianca” (White Room), which is also the largest. It has an octagonal shape and it is structured on two floors, this room greatly recalls the typical buildings of Islamic Spain. Around the whole perimeter runs a porch adorned with muqarnas capitals. This feature is typical of Arabic architecture and in Europe, it can only be found in the Alhambra in Granda. The ceiling is unique too. The large white dome is ornated in arabesque patterns and perforated by great oval-shaped windows, that create an incredible play of lights on the walls.
Inside the castle, nothing is left to chance: the Marquis designed every single detail of it, including also several quotes in many languages. Unfortunately, he never visited the faraway places for which he felt so much love, but he surrounded himself with their wonders.
Visit the Sammezzano Castle
Today the Sammezzano Castle is not opened to the public, except for rare and planned events. Unfortunately, it is at the heart of a legal dispute. This year, a few lucky ones had the chance to visit it during an event held by the FAI (National Trust of Italy) in May.
We really hope that the whole site will soon be accessible to everyone: it is a shame to keep this jewel of a Thousand and One Nights hidden!