Italy is an open-air museum, where art is everywhere, in many different forms. Some of the places where this art is found are not accessible, and that’s a shame. Today, after a long and painful period of closure marked by bureaucracy and mismanagement, there is a wonderful news about the path leading to the reopening of an extraordinary, unique, and almost unknown site to most: the Sammezzano Castle in Tuscany.

The Sammezzano Castle took on its current appearance thanks to the work of Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona, who transformed and expanded the pre-existing building between 1843 and 1889. Most of his life was thus dedicated to the titanic task of creating the Castle and the Park of Sammezzano.

However, the history of the place is much older: it can be traced back to the Roman era and continued throughout the subsequent centuries. The great historian Davidson, in his "History of Florence," states that in 780, Charlemagne, on his way back from Rome where he had had his son baptized by the Pope, might have passed through the area.

The estate that includes Sammezzano later belonged to very important families: in particular, the Altoviti family, and then, by the will of Duke Cosimo, it passed to Giovanni Jacopo de’ Medici, who in turn sold it to Sebastiano Ximenes.

These lands remained in the Ximenes d’Aragona family until the last heir, Ferdinando, who, influenced and fascinated by Orientalism (a cultural movement that spread throughout Europe from the early 19th century and found one of its main centers in Florence), began to modify the existing structure of the castle by adding perforated domes, intertwined arches, elaborate stucco, ceramic mosaics, and numerous exotic plant species. It was then that new magnificent polychrome rooms were created: the Entrance Hall in 1853, the Stalactite Corridor in 1862, the Ballroom in 1867, and the Central Tower, which bears the carved date of 1889.

Ferdinando died on October 18, 1897. The property passed to his daughter Marianna, who was married to Paolucci and who died at Sammezzano on December 7, 1919. Since then, the castle went through several phases; it was classified as "of public interest" and, after the war, was converted into a luxury hotel and the set for numerous film productions.

Later, it fell into a state of abandonment. For years, hundreds of thousands of citizens asked, in vain, for this extraordinary place to be recovered and made accessible to everyone. Yet, despite the existence of a specific law – the Italian Cultural Heritage Code – that mandates its protection, no concrete action has ever been taken to truly enhance it, and only today does it seem that its rebirth has begun. Even today, with its 65 incredibly decorated and colorful rooms, the Sammezzano Castle represents a unique example in the European architectural and landscape panorama.

The castle, located about thirty kilometers east of Florence, near Leccio in the municipality of Reggello, has finally been purchased at auction. The acquisition of Sammezzano by the Moretti family reportedly cost around 18 million euros. But this is just the beginning: it seems that the Moretti family from Florence – already active in the protection of cultural heritage – has planned to allocate at least 50 million euros (but probably many more) for the complete restoration of the architecture and the historic park. An ambitious project that, in addition to high-profile hospitality services, will also include the opening to the public of the monumental floor of the castle, with a format similar to that of a traditional museum. The revitalization plan is not only conservative, but also cultural and economic. The establishment of the museum will ensure public access and enhancement of the history of the place, while accommodation and ceremonial activities will ensure its sustainability over time.