Valenzano Castle

Castello di Valenzano has thousand-year-old origins dating to the 9th century: its first structure arose as a watchtower during the late Lombard era, between the end of the 9th and the start of the 10th century. After the fall of the Lombards, the castle's history became closely tied to that of Arezzo, and in the 13th century it passed to the Ubertini, one of the city's most influential families.

Today the castle combines accommodation with a farm-stay-style agricultural operation, with a garden, terrace, restaurant and bar. The complex retains its character as a historic residence, with classic Tuscan-style furnishings, canopy beds, frescoed walls, and private marble bathrooms in most rooms.

The castle's origin as a Lombard watchtower ties it to the same network of early medieval defensive structures that shaped much of northern and central Italy's fortification pattern in the centuries following the Lombard kingdom's establishment.

The Ubertini family's ownership from the 13th century connects Valenzano to one of Arezzo's most consequential noble lineages, deeply involved in the city's medieval political and military history.

The deliberate absence of televisions and air conditioning reflects a considered choice to prioritize disconnection and historic atmosphere over modern convenience, a positioning shared by a handful of other properties in this collection.

The surrounding Casentino and Pratomagno mountains give guests staying at Valenzano direct access to some of Tuscany's best hiking terrain, a landscape distinct from the more commonly featured Chianti and Val d'Orcia wine hills.