Castello di Gargonza

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Castello di Gargonza is located in the heart of the Tuscany region, only 8 kilometers and a half from Monte San Savino and 28 kilometers from Arezzo, between the rolling hills that border the Chianti region and Val di Chiana. With the option to choose from a bed and breakfast or vacation apartments, a vacation in Castello di Gargonza is characterized by tranquility, nature, art, history, and even shopping (within the antique markets of Arezzo and Cortona and the nearby brand-name outlet stores).The Castle of Gargonza is a fortified village dating back to the 1200's. Enclosed within the ancient city walls, the apartments have the trademark of country life that was maintained thanks to the careful restoration efforts of the property owner Roberto Guicciardini Corsi Salviati. Today, the Castle of Gargonza welcomes guests within the village's homes and ancient olive press cellars; offering rooms and apartments,a bar and restaurant, common areas, gardens and panoraic swimming pool, within one of the most stunning areas of Tuscany.

Being Responsible

This journey will take you deep into the Tuscany of everyone’s dreams. This is the Tuscany that is so lovingly depicted in Renaissance paintings and that provides the backdrop for many enchanting films. Here is an idyllic landscape of rolling cypress-topped hills, of bountiful vineyards and olive groves, of romantic medieval villages and charming hill towns, of monasteries and churches. And the glorious colours – the impossibly deep blue of the sky and the golden ochres and lush greens of the land - will simply take your breath away.
From Arezzo you will walk along the western flanks of the pre-Apennine hills, coasting olive groves and oak woods and enjoying superb views of the valley, before descending to the Etruscan and medieval city of Cortona.

How you will reside

The rooms of the Castle of Gargonza are located over various buildings within the village. There are 13 buildings which maintain their authentic structure and original atmosphere thanks to a careful restoration process. The comforts are modern while the atmosphere retains the feel of a long ago. There are three types of accommodations; comfort, classic, and superior, housing from one to four guests in utmost comfort.

- Rooms Classic; - Comfort Rooms; - Superior Rooms (All of the Superior Rooms come equipped with a kitchenette ideal for making tea, warming baby-bottles, etc).

- The Castle of Gargonza Bed and Breakfast

Breakfast is severed in the Olive Press Cellar (buffet). Guests have at their disposal a panoramic swimming pool and restaurant located just outside the main city walls (Gargonza 25). When good weather permits, a snack bar is served within the lemon tree green-house. In addition, the rolling hills of Val di Chiana, Monte San Savino, Arezzo are just a stone's throw from the vacation apartments. The eight period suites and six doubles have romantic four poster beds. They are all different but each has a warm, welcoming atmosphere and one of several furnishing colours in common as well as satellite TV with over 250 channels including music, sport, children’s entertainment, news, Italian and international films, direct dial phones, minibar and safe.

How you will eat

The La Torre di Gargonza Restaurant is the crown jewel of Castello di Gargonza, open for guests of our bed and breakfast, Castello's vacation apartments as well as external clients. The restaurant is located just outside the Gargonza city walls, near the swimming pool, where one can enjoy the views of Gargonza's woods and Val di Chiana. The setting is truly stunning: an internal dining hall that accommodates 50/65 persons within an antique tractor shed, while the outdoor terrace accommodates up to 185 guests and boasts breathtaking views. The cuisine consists of authentic traditional Tuscan dishes made with simple, genuine ingredients chosen personally by chef Andrea Russo among those available fresh each season. The pasta is home made, the Chianina meat is cooked over embers, the wines (over 60 labels) are from the region, including Chianti Classico, Colli Senesi, Montalcino, Montepulciano and are stored within the wine cellar.

Amenities

Rooms and apartments with bed & breakfast service; a restaurant featuring typical Tuscan cuisine; and small meetings; a swimming pool for moments of relaxation; and a Romanic church for weddings and ceremonies: all surrounded by a landscape which displays the rare beauty and tranquility that has come to characterize of the rolling hills of Monte San Savino and Arezzo. The Castle of Gargonza is the ideal setting for those who wish a quiet retreat, far from the fast pace of the city and crowded areas, where you may enjoy the pleasure of a good book, strolls amidst nature, and small villages rich with the artistic history of the Tuscan hills, as well as the opportunity to savor the delicacies of traditional Tuscan meals and wines.

Weddings

Gargonza is characterized by its romantic tranquility, ideal for those who wish to celebrate their wedding or organize a reception within a striking scenic setting. The church, The town hall for private functions, garden, swimming pool, reception halls, restaurant and guestrooms of the bed and breakfast as wells as the vacation apartments that lodge the newlyweds and guests, make this a functional and enchanting location where to celebrate your special day.

The religious ceremony takes place in the Romanic Parish of St. Tiburzio and St. Susanna; the civil ceremony in the municipal palace of Monte San Savino. The setting of Castle of Gargonza can accommodate the newlyweds and their guests within the garden of the lemon tree green-house or by the swimming pool for an aperitif meanwhile the Restaurant La Torre di Gargonza can accommodate wedding receptions of 50/65 guests within an internal hall, and the patio lounge with its breathtaking panoramic views welcomes up to 185 guests. The morning following the wedding celebration, a brunch may be enjoyed either by the swimming pool, or the countryside setting and villages of Chianti, Val di Chiana.

Tuscany Shopping and Art Itineraries

- Arezzo and the outlets of Prada, Gucci etc. allowing guests to enjoy a pleasant stay.

- When vacationing in Castello di Gargonza one cannot miss the Etruscan Via, an itinerary through Arezzo, Castel Focognano, Castglion Fiorentino and Cortona.

- As well as the works of art of Piero della Francesca, a renaissance Tuscan master, located amidst Arezzo, Monterchi and Sansepolcro.

- The wine trails of Chianti, Terre di Arezzo, Montepulciano etc., to discover wine, olive oil, and the traditional flavors of this area of Tuscany.

About People

Dante Alighieri was our guest in 1303… The earliest records of Gargonza date back to a 1150 quotation that mentioned a fortified castle along the road from Arezzo to Siena: which is the same castle where Dante spent a few days in exile. Sought after by Guelfi and Ghibellini, during the XV century the Castle of Gargonza was known as the village which dedicated itself to cultivating the woods as well as wool production. During the XVII century, the Castle became an organized 900 hectare share cropping farm with thirty-three farms and homes for farmers and their families. The village already had, besides guestrooms, a parish, a house of canons, a school, an oil mill, stables, and four bread ovens (still functioning) etc.

After two hundred prosperous years, during the first half of the Nineteenth century, the Castle was abandoned by a community who left to the city in search of a better life. Around 1970, Roberto Guicciardini Corsi Salviati, the owners of Gargonza, began the restoration process with utmost respect for the past, in hopes of bringing back daily life to one of the most beautiful villages in Tuscany.

Suitable for

Relax, Heritage Hotel Lovers, Italian Wedding, Italian Itineraries, Food&Wine Tour, Architectural Tour, UNESCO Itineraries.