The status of the place should be closed! There is no visiting time! Accessible by car until the last 5 minutes you have to hike. The hike and nature is amazing but the castle is closed and deteriorated!!! I’m soooo sad this place has been neglected! Comparing the photos I see from old reviews and friends who came here years ago made me feel the amount of pain someone feels if seeing a place or someone in bad condition! This place is history.. nostalgia.. beauty.. magic!! Please take care of it and retain back the magic!!

Wish we could have gone inside to see this once majestic place, but it was an awesome hike up with the kids and well worth the trip. This was our last big hiking adventure while we were in Italy and it was so worth it. We did get a bit lost coming back but we still managed to find our way back to our car even though we had to walk through a new city we had never been to before. So if you don't like getting lost I suggest you take the same path in and out. We are adventurists though so we like to see what's the other way lol. It is so amazing to think of how old this castle is and the fact that the original builder brought in Redwoods from America to plant along the "drive"way to his magnificent castle. The castle overlooks the city that we ended up in at the end of our hike. Quite an amazing view. If you wonder on down you will find a big abandoned structure that has great potential to be something... If you enjoy hiking and architecture this is an absolute must see while in Tuscany.

The Castle of Sammezzano, located in Leccio, 40 Km southeast of Florence. It is an Italian palazzo in Tuscany having 365 rooms (each day a year has its room) featuring various Moorish architectural styles. One of the highlights is the Peacock room. The original palazzo was erected in 1605 by the Spanish nobleman Ximenes of Aragon. In the 19th Ferdinand Panciatichi Ximenes inherited the property and remodelled/extended it between 1853 and 1889. His work wasn’t confined to the interior of the castle, either. He planted a grove of oaks and other exotic trees and plants throughout the property’s 450 acres, creating one of the largest parks in the Tuscany. After his death the palazzo served as a luxury hotel until the 1950’s but eventually was closed and completely abandoned in the 1990’s. One of Europe’s most beautiful and mesmerizing castles is in danger of disappearing completely!! Since then, a variety of plans have been made to restore it to its former glory but none was successful. Recently it was added to the short list (but not yet finalized) of Europe’s most endangered heritage sites.

Sammezzano, or the Castle of Sammezzano, is an Italian palazzo in Tuscany featuring Moorish Revival architectural style. It is located in Leccio, a hamlet of Reggello, in the Province of Florence.The original palazzo was erected in about 1605 by the Spanish nobleman Ximenes of Aragon. In the 19th century, Ferdinand Panciatichi Ximenes inherited the property and, between 1853 and 1889, remodeled it into one of the largest examples of Moorish Revival architecture. Umberto I, king of Italy, visited Ximenes at Sammezzano in 1878. The palazzo served as a luxury hotel in the post World War II era; then was vacated and closed. A committee called FPXA 1813–2013, abbreviation for Ferdinand Panciatichi Ximenes d’Aragon, was organized in 2012 to attempt to restore and preserve the palazzo, which has 365 rooms, each with unique, Moorish decoration.

An extraordinary piece of architecture. Unfortunately it has been neglected over the past years and cannot be visited from the inside anymore. The walk around the Castello is beautiful and quiet. Definitely worth a visit.

Wonderfull castle, but unfortunately falling in decay and impossible to visit. I have repeatedly tried to change the status to "closed" but they won't apply it. So do not plan to visit anything except for the park (which by the way is very impressive); the castle is definitely CLOSED.

Great place, worth to visit even if it's not possible to enter. In the park there there are one of the few examples of sequoia that you can find in Italy. I really hope public institutions or some private person could decide to restore it and open it to the public.

The Castello di Sammezzano, or Sammezzano Castle, is a magnificent historic residence located in the region of Tuscany, Italy. It is situated near the municipality of Reggello, approximately 30 kilometers southeast of Florence. The castle is renowned for its extraordinary architecture and rich history. The construction of Castello di Sammezzano dates back to the 16th century, although the current structure is largely the result of a significant renovation carried out in the 19th century. It was during this phase that the castle acquired its distinctive architectural style, influenced by the Moorish revival movement. The castle showcases an eclectic fusion of architectural styles, with an abundance of Moorish elements such as arches, domes, columns, and intricately carved decorations. Inside, the castle houses over 365 rooms, each with its own unique style and decoration. Throughout its history, the Castello di Sammezzano had various owners, but it was particularly notable during the period when it belonged to Marquis Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona. The Marquis dedicated many years to transforming the castle into a sumptuous residence, enriching it with precious mosaics, stucco decorations, and marble floors. After changing hands several times, the Castello di Sammezzano fell into a state of abandonment and has undergone significant deterioration in recent decades. However, thanks to the efforts of various associations and private individuals, there have been initiatives to restore and preserve this remarkable architectural gem.

You can't enter the castle, it's closed for visitors, but the park is very nice, huge sequoia trees are beautiful!

Beautiful from the outside, however it's closed and cannot be visited!

It is an abandoned castle on top of a hill but it is sealed and closed to public. The hike up to the castle was very cooling and interesting.

Not far from Florence there's an impressive eclectic Castle in Moresque style .Less than 40 kilometres south of Central Florence, located in Leccio in the municipality of Reggello, lies the amazing dreamy castle of Sammezzano. Surrounded by an oak tree grove and situated on the top of a hill, the abandoned Sammezzano Castle is an extravagant residence beyond comparison.It was built in 1605 with funds from Spanish nobility for Ximenes of Aragon

The 5-Star is given retrospectively as we had a stay here 30+ years ago when it offered accommodation as a hotel. The rooms were magnificent and the restaurant offered the most wonderful Tuscan mixed grill which we still talk about. Hope, one day, it will rejuvenate itself to its former glory. Sincerely yours

Beautiful from outside, it's shame that it's abandoned Such a pitty

A really lost place! No way in… but the picture we found are so beautiful! So, we went around.. I hope that someone will open it in the future!!!

Beautiful and weird place - even if only to be seen from the outside