PALACES AND CASTLES OF ITALY SAMMETSTSANO CASTELLO DI SAMMEZZANO

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"Atypical for Italy Moorish castle strikingly beautiful. And more surprising that a few people know it even among the Italians. In the castle Sammetstsano difficult to get into, but the impressions received will be worth all the effort "

This castle is reminiscent, perhaps, sleep Shamahanskaya queen, because surely only a very luxurious and sophisticated woman could dreamed that! Eastern Box, unseen spices, opium intoxication - that what is perhaps possible to compare such an incredible sight. It seems worth blink, and the mirage dissipated. The eye catches it in one, then another item, and from the variety of colors is breathtaking. Italian Sammetstsano castle ( Castello di Sammezzano ) will surprise even the most spoiled viewer.

Let's look at it more ...

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Sammetstsano Castle (Castello di Sammezzano) belongs to the Italian-British company called �Sammezzano Castle Spa�. It is closed for more than twenty years (in the 80s of the last century there was located a hotel with 18 rooms) in anticipation of the implementation of the ambitious and expensive project for its reconstruction. Over the last years, in collaboration with the owners of the castle, and a voluntary organization with Lecce, he was entirely open to the public in connection with local celebrations - La Sagra di Penko and Corsa Poddistika Marniatona. Profit for the holidays many visitors from all over Italy. As of old tales, each time a new history remembered: who are married, who spent their honeymoon, who remembers the castle when I was a kid ... Anyway, still many remember locking Sammetstsano. Conversely very few know anything about the person who sold it - Marquise Ferdinando Panchiatiki Ksimenese Aragon (Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona), born in Florence, March 10, 1813 ...

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Marquis was (without higher education) architect, engineer, botanist (in 1864 bought the first tree for 224 lira - a considerable sum in those days), bibliophile, entrepreneurs, politicians and intellectuals; he helped and was patron of the most important cultural institutions of Florence: Accademia di Bella Arti, Bardzhello Museum, the Uffizi, the Academy Georgofilov, Tuscan Vegetable Society. Also donate a portion of their own archive, he made a significant contribution to the establishment of the National Library.

Fine art connoisseur Dante in 1865 was elected president of the organization committee for the centenary of the poet's birth. In Florence, the capital of Italy's rapidly growing new quarters, and some (eg, La Mattonayya) posted on his land, Panchiatiki Palace (now the administration building of the region of Tuscany) and the Palace in Borgo Pinti Ksimenes - also former property of the Marquis. Although today few people know about it ...

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Florence - Italy's capital, remains closed and the Provincial, he looked much farther to the East, where he saw the roots of the Renaissance. Epistles, prisoners in color and shape of the castle, much modern and contemporary.Colorfully convey the beauty and functionality of the architecture, the relationship between East and West, political decline, freedom and flight of human thought ...

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Erected in 780 year existence of the century the castle belonged to the king of France and the Lombards and the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Carlo Magno (Carlo Magno), Florentine family Gualterotti (Gualtierotti), the Medici, and also one of the wealthiest families in Italy of his time Ximenez Aragon (Ximenes d'Aragona), and finally the family Panchiatiki (Panciatichi).

For historical summaries of 780 in the castle of the customer Carlo Magno with his wife, son, and King Umberto I. Many centuries later, the building passed into the possession of the Florentine family Gualterotti until 1488. After some time, the lock acquired by Giovanni de 'Medici.

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In 1564 the Grand Duke Cosimo I de 'Medici created a so-called Reserve Sammertsano: vast space, including a large part of the present territory of the commune of Reggello, which was forbidden to fish and hunt without a special permit.

In 1605, the castle was bought Sammertsano family Ximenez Aragon, and in 1816 he moved to the inherited Panchiatiki. The present appearance of the castle is through Ferdinando Panchiatiki Ximenez Aragon (Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona). Becoming both the customer and the architect, in 1853, he rebuilt the citadel Sammertsano in Moorish style. Now its facade resembles the famous Taj Mahal, and the interior with an abundance of decorative stucco image of the castle date back to the Alhambra (Alhambra), in Granada. By the way, the house guard, located in the park Sammertsano also been developed Panchiatiki and in the style of a castle.

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Inside the castle there are 365 rooms, the number of days in a year. There is a white room, peacocks, lilies, stalactites, Spanish bowls, gym lovers.

In the weaving of large and small premises mislaid multitude of niches, hidden corners and unexpectedly spacious galleries. Windows, columns, capitals ... maze of corridors, arches, vaults and domes - my head is spinning. Each room is special, not one like the other, and each tends to stand out with originality and elegance.

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But miracles are not limited to the interior of the castle. Castle Sammertsano surrounds the park, considered one of the most extensive and beautiful in Tuscany. All the same Panchiatiki planted here a variety of exotic and rare plants.However, until today preserved, unfortunately, not all. But the special pride of the park are the giant sequoias in height over thirty-five feet, one of them trunk diameter of about ten meters. Panchiatiki park decorated in Moorish style compositions. Graceful bridge cave with a statue of Venus, filled with water, vases, fountains, statues ... Some were subsequently transported to Florence palace Ximenez. To date, the park - it's the only place freely accessible to the public in Sammetstsano.

Park, one of the largest in Tuscany, was defeated in the mid-18th century. Ferdinand Panchiatiki the territory of his possessions. Planted a large number of exotic species such as redwoods and other trees resinous American and architectural image of the park has been realized with the elements in the Moorish style, the bridge, an artificial cave (with a statue of Venus), pools, fountains and other decorative items made of terracotta. Only a small proportion of plants of the 18th century has survived: already in 1890, of the 134 species of plants, planted a few decades ago, there are only 37. Only recently have started again to grow some of the plants that were forgotten in the process of restoration. Here again grow araucaria, sequoia, arborvitae, yew, cypress, pine, fir, palm, yucca, oak, maple, cedar, cedar of Lebanon, frame, ash, juniper, acacia, linden, and many other valuable plants. The park is represented by the largest group of giant sequoias in Italy- 57 adult trees, each tree up to 35 meters

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After the war, the building housed a luxury hotel, while now, in spite of the sale by auction of the palace in 1999, and some restoration work prodelanye urgently, he undeservedly forgotten. However, in April 2012, the Committee was founded FPXA 1813-2013 (FPXA - reduction of Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona), one of the purposes of which the popularization and improvement of the castle Sametstsano.

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Flowers and geometrical figures, carved ceilings and lattice-canopies inside. Ancient red brick walls and dome shaped like a fig, - outside. A huge bell on the roof and a fantastic garden at the foot. It looks like one of the most amazing castles in the world, who is, unfortunately, neglected and almost forgotten by tourists. It remains to believe that soon this wonder of the world fall into the hands of the connoisseur and the lock Sammetstsano healed full and busy life!

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