The Castello di Oliveto, attributed to Brunelleschi, is for sale in Castelfiorentino, Tuscany.

For sale in the territory of Castelfiorentino, Tuscany, is the Castello di Oliveto, whose design has been attributed for some time to Filippo Brunelleschi (Florence, 1377 - 1446) by architect Massimo Ricci, author of several studies on the great Renaissance artist. The building, now privately owned, was built in 1424 and was once the residence of the noble Pucci family of Florence: in the past it also hosted illustrious personalities such as Lorenzo the Magnificent and as many as three popes, namely Leo X, Clement VII and Paul III. It is a splendid example of a fortified villa, nestled among olive groves on the top of a hill. It belonged to the Pucci family for four centuries, but in 1850 it was sold to another noble Florentine family, the Guicciardini, and during World War II it became the headquarters of a German command and was later occupied by the Allies. Today, however, the castle is home to a farm and offers hospitality to anyone who wishes to stay overnight, and is also a location for ceremonies, tastings, cooking classes, receptions and meetings.

According to the architect Ricci, the design of the castle should be attributed to Brunelleschi as the Florentine genius would have been, at the time, the only architect who was an expert in military fortifications, but not only that: there are similarities between the Castello di Oliveto and the Medici Villa della Pietraia (also attributed to Brunelleschi), the use of construction techniques similar to those of the Cupola di Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi’s masterpiece, has been found, and still it is confirmed that it was the brother of the then owner of Castello di Oliveto, Giovanni di Antonio Pucci, who supplied the material for the construction of the dome, which would show that there were contacts between the family and Filippo Brunelleschi.

The property also includes twenty-five farmhouses, a hamlet with an eighteenth-century villa, and one thousand two hundred hectares of land, for a total of 35 square kilometers of property. Managing the transaction is Lionard Luxury Real Estate. Dimitri Corti, president of Lionard, says that “this is one of the most prestigious properties we have ever had for sale.” “Countless inside are the noteworthy architectural motifs,” reads the description on the website: “the Guelph battlements, the four towers at the corners, the clock tower, the inner courtyard with graffiti plaster, the loggia with four arches and the private chapel for religious services. In the loggia we also find an ancient well for collecting rainwater that was originally an underground outlet from the castle.” The negotiation, as might be expected, is confidential.

Pictured by Lionard is the Oliveto Castle.

The Castello di Oliveto, attributed to Brunelleschi, is for sale in Castelfiorentino, Tuscany.

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