Castello di Sammezzano in Tuscany sold to Florentine family for €18 million

The Castello di Sammezzano in Reggello, Tuscany, a unique example of Orientalist architecture in Italy, has been sold to the Florentine Moretti family for €18 million. The sale was finalized on May 2, 2025, after years of abandonment. The property includes a 65-hectare historic park. Entrepreneur Giorgio Moretti, founder of the volunteer group Angeli del Bello and former president of waste management company Quadrifoglio, plans to invest at least an additional €50 million in restoration. The castle was previously owned by Sammezzano Castle, which went bankrupt in 2017. A 2017 attempt by an Emirati company to buy it for €15 million was annulled by the bankruptcy court. Subsequent auctions were deserted. The current deal is subject to a 30-day period for appeals and a 60-day state pre-emption right starting mid-May. The castle's current appearance is due to Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona, who transformed and expanded the existing building between 1843 and 1889. He also redesigned the park with rare and exotic plants, including sequoias, holm oaks, and junipers.