Italy · Restored
Castello di Montegufoni
Montegufoni Castle (Castello di Montegufoni) is a Tuscan castle near Montespertoli, southwest of Florence. The present complex grew from medieval origins and was reshaped into the unified, ochre-plastered residence seen today; it has a tall crenellated tower and an inner courtyard and contains a private church and several named halls and galleries. In the 20th century it became a cultural residence and was later restored for hospitality use.
Its prime
1921
Today
Restored
As it stood in 1921
The shape it held in its prime.
A tall, square stone tower with a multi-stage shaft rises above a low, ochre-plastered courtyard block; the tower culminates in a crenellated upper stage modelled on Arnolfo’s Palazzo Vecchio with a large open arched belfry and blind machicolation-like corbels beneath. The courtyard façades are smooth yellow plaster with small, stone-framed rectangular windows and a low terracotta-tiled roof. The ensemble reads as a compact fortified residence opening onto an enclosed, rectangular court.
Its story
The story of Castello di Montegufoni.
Montegufoni stands on the ancient Via Volterrana, the road taken by Charlemagne and other emperors travelling to Florence or Rome. The first Lords of Montegufoni were the Ormanni, the noble family who built the first castle; after a period in ruins it passed in the 13th century to Gugliarello Acciaioli, whose descendants grew enormously rich on their bank and transformed Montegufoni into a walled complex of the central castle and the "seven old villas".
In 1386 Donato Acciaioli — Duke of Athens, Senator of Rome and Gonfaloniere of the Republic of Florence — built the tower that still dominates the castle. Montegufoni remained one of the most famous meeting places of Florentine high society through the 17th and 18th centuries, until the economic decline of the Acciaioli forced its sale to the Baracchi family.
In 1909 the eccentric Englishman Sir George Sitwell fell in love with the derelict castle and bought it in the name of his son Osbert, later the 5th Baronet. The Sitwells made it an important cultural centre, inviting artists — especially American and English — until Sir Reresby Sitwell, 7th Baronet, sold the castle to Sergio Posarelli in 1972; it has since been restored for hospitality use.
Step inside
8 places to explore in 1921.
The record describes 8 distinct spots at Castello di Montegufoni — including 5 interiors: banquet hall / 'the theatre' - interior, private chapel (hall transformed into chapel) - interior, la galleria (the armory/gallery) - interior and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and walk through every one — more scenes means more photos, more angles and more rooms of the immersive experience.
Create History
Recreate Castello di Montegufoni with AI to explore it.
The artist rebuilds it as it stood in 1921 — a photoreal walk that belongs to you alone. Pay with coins, no subscription needed.
Recreate Castle to Explore →Whose castle
Clans who held Castello di Montegufoni.
The families that held Castello di Montegufoni for a decade or more across its history — follow a name to its clan.
Ormanni
The first Lords of Montegufoni; the noble Ormanni family built the first castle.
Acciaioli
Held by the Acciaioli from the 13th century until their economic decline in the 18th; Donato Acciaioli, Duke of Athens, built the great tower in 1386.
Sitwell
Bought by Sir George Sitwell in 1909 in the name of his son Osbert; sold by Sir Reresby Sitwell, 7th Baronet, in 1972.
