Perugia San Francesco (36km; 40’), Ancona Raffaello Sanzio (111km; 1h 40’), Roma Ciampino (181km; 2h 20’), Roma Fiumicino (201km; 2h 35’), Firenze Vespucci (205km; 2h 25’), Forlì Ridolfi (210km; 2h 45’), Bologna Marconi (276km; 3h 20’), Pisa Galilei (296 km; 3h 10’)
PRICE
EUR 2.900.000,00
DESCRIPTION
MEDIEVAL CASTLE FOR SALE IN UMBRIA
In a very panoramic position in the municipality of Foligno, in the heart of Umbria, we find this beautiful medieval castle. The property, spanning over 500 sqm, currently offers a total of 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. A beautiful garden enclosed by the original walls is ideal for events and weddings and also features a finely restored private chapel. All around, 3.0 hectares of land complete the property.
The castle, with its fantastic finishes, the ample outdoor spaces and the enviable position, has been converted by the current owners into a luxury 5-star accommodation business.
The small town at the base of the hill (600 m, easily reached on foot) offers all the basic services but from the castle, one can visit the most notable centers of Umbria in less than two hours by car (Foligno, Spello, Assisi, Perugia, Todi, Cortona…).
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDINGS
Arriving by car, one can park just behind the tower and enter the courtyard via a breach in the walls. Here, the main walkway leads on to the church, the praesidium and the terrace granting access to the tower.
The private chapel, thanks to a masterful restoration, still boasts its original charm. By scraping off non-original plasters the beautiful vaulted ceilings have been brought back to light, as well as a portion of a 14th-century painting of the crucifixion, currently being restored.
The praesidium is laid over two floors, each with independent access. The ground floor houses bedroom N°1, accessed directly from the garden, and a bathroom tiled its 18th-century original majolica. On the first floor there is a live-in kitchen with dining area, featuring original terracotta floors and decorated with original copper and ceramic tools, and a bathroom.
Exiting the kitchen one ends up on the paved terrace (350 sqm), embellished by terracotta jars and equipped with tables and chairs to enjoy the pleasant summer climate of Umbria.
From here, a wooden staircase leads to the entrance of the tower, which is through a very small door that was originally intended to keep assailants outside the building. The entrance floor features bedroom N°2, decorated with original 19th-century furniture and equipped with private bathroom. The ceiling is supported by beautifully decorated wooden beams.
Going further up, we come across bedroom N°3, fitted with private bathroom too and furnished with original 18th-century antiques.
On the upper floor, bedroom N°4 is a beautiful room covered with a nice vaulted ceiling and fitted with private bathroom. An original fireplace embellishes the room.
The second-to-last floor was instead rearranged into a beautiful living room shared by the guests of the tower.
Getting finally to the top, bedroom N°5 is the smallest of the lot, but also the most peculiar. The room was indeed created inside the guardhouse on top of the tower, where sentinels could find shelter in case of rain or bad weather. A door leads onto the crenelated chemin de ronde offering a unique view over the surrounding Umbrian countryside.
Back on the ground floor, a staircase also leads down towards the basement of the tower where an ample room has been converted into a laundry facility.
All the bedrooms are equipped with an autonomous heating/cooling system so that each guest can set the temperature based on his/her preference. Showers are comfortable and water is granted via a pressurization system.
STATE AND FINISHES
The conservative restoration of the property gave new life to this fortress and allowed preserving the tower, the chapel and good part of the walls. Along the ramparts one can easily see the remains of what were in the past boutiques and artisan warehouses. It has also been proposed a project to potentially recover these ruins and create further 570 sqm of livable surface.
HISTORY OF THE CASTLE
The first records about the tower date back to the second half of the 13th century: this place, where probably a fortified community was already thriving, is mentioned in the Cronaca di Perugia: on May 19, 1289, a battalion of Perugine troops attacked several keeps around Foligno and this tower was no exception.
The castle itself was built in the first half of the 14th century on top of the hill, probably on the remains of the old tower. The location allowed easy control of the underlying valley.
Originally shaped like a horse-shoe, the fortress followed the profile of the hill. Only portions of the imposing wall are still intact, and this despite them being reinforced several times since the 16th century.
EXTERIORS
The property is completed by a surrounding piece of land spanning roughly 3.0 hectares (7.4 acres) and featuring 470 olive trees. The parking lot for the guests has been expanded and improved with maintenance work during 2022.
The garden in front of the tower (1,500 sqm – 0.4 acres) is enclosed by the walls of the castle and underwent a general reworking in the first half of 2022. Walkways and terraces have been fully repaved with reclaimed bricks. Multiple sets of stairs have been built to reach al the towers along the walls, which have been converted into cozy and private relax areas.
The main terrace, located at the entrance of the tower, has been reworked as well and enriched with a bioclimatic pergola that allows enjoying shade even in the hottest days of summer.
The courtyard also houses an 8.5 × 4.5 m above-ground swimming pool, remade in 2022 with the installation of a heat pump for warm water and the creation of a poolside pergola over a newly-paved sunbathing area.
This beautiful outdoor space, which also features a state-of-the-art lighting system, makes the property the perfect frame for weddings and events.
The term Castle derives from castellum which, in turn, derives from Castrum, a Latin term that refers to a military settlement. It is, in fact, in Roman times that we find the first elements of castles, architectural structures that become even more important with the advent of the barbarians. These peoples, nomads and mostly devoted to hunting and war, were also particularly ferocious and it was therefore required to fortify the already existing military facilities.
With the fall of the Roman Empire and the advent of the Middle Ages the decentralization of power required the creation of different types of fortification. At the beginning the scene was dominated by the watch towers whose purpose was primarily military.
The different economic and social structure, typical of the Middle Ages, then, required the creation of fortified towns. The castle became, therefore, the nucleus of a decentralized economy that, from the city, now moved to the countryside. That’s why the castle appeared as real fortified village.
In modern times, with the advent of various forms of fortification, the castle lost its defensive role. The various castles began, therefore, to be converted into residences for noble families.
Currently many of the castles in Italy and Europe are in need of renovation and therefore represent an unique opportunity to give a new life to a piece of history.
Owning a castle, live in a castle and, even more, to revive a castle is surely one of the most exciting experiences of life.
