Castello del Nero

Castello del Nero-Torrigiani originated in the 12th century as the countryside residence of the noble Florentine Del Nero family. The property later passed to the Torrigiani family, and Marchese Carlo Torrigiani — with the help of his American wife Anna Frey — invested heavily in developing the estate's productive activities. After a period as a centuries-old aristocratic seat gave way to years of neglect, the Italian-American Trotta family acquired the property in the early 2000s and restored it into a luxury hotel operated under the COMO Hotels brand.

Today's 50 rooms and suites are spread across the historic castle and the estate's former farm buildings, with original frescoes, vaulted ceilings and period architectural details preserved throughout both the common areas and some of the most exclusive rooms. A separate historic dependance called "Belvedere" houses a family suite and a 90-square-meter COMO Suite. The Michelin-starred restaurant "La Torre" occupies the castle's former stables, while "La Taverna" is set in the old castle kitchen — both repurposed estate buildings that speak to the property's working agricultural past.

The Del Nero family's original 12th-century residence reflects the broader pattern of Florentine noble families establishing countryside estates within the Chianti hills, positioned to oversee agricultural production while maintaining a residence distinct from their urban Florence properties.

Marchese Carlo Torrigiani's investment in the estate's productive activities, supported by his American wife's resources, connects the property to a wider pattern of transatlantic marriage alliances that brought American capital into the maintenance of aging Italian aristocratic estates during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The COMO Hotels brand's restoration of the property reflects the broader trend of international luxury hospitality groups acquiring and restoring historic Tuscan estates, bringing global-standard service and design sensibility to buildings whose architectural and historical character remains the primary draw for guests.

The repurposing of the castle's former stables and kitchen into the estate's two restaurants — one Michelin-starred, one more casual — reflects a considered adaptive-reuse approach that keeps these working agricultural buildings in active use rather than converting them into additional guest rooms or leaving them as static architectural features.

The surrounding Chianti hills, Tuscany's most internationally recognized wine region, give guests staying at Castello del Nero direct access to the vineyard landscape and wine culture that has shaped this part of Tuscany for centuries, with Florence and Siena both within easy reach for day trips.