We’re used to seeing celebrities buying multi-million dollar estates, but even Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt don’t have their own Medieval Tuscan village (not that it would have enough houses for their kids).
But if you have a spare $58 million dollars (CAD) lying around you could snap up this “unrivalled opportunity to own a substantial, historic private estate in one of Tuscany’s most desirable locations.”
Just 20 kms east of Siena, Poggio Santa Cecilia (and no, whatever you just said in your own head is definitely not how you pronounce it) spans 700 hectares (1729 acres); and while the listing certainly isn’t going for cheap, you do get a lot of bang for your Euro.
The abandoned Medieval hilltop property comes with a working organic farm, several old farm houses and out buildings, woodland, two lakes full of fish and — the cherry on top if you still need one — vineyards. Because what’s the point of being the king of your Tuscan castle if you can’t drink great wine while wearing a crown and causally referring to the cows as peasants?
Photo: Giulio Gostoli
According to the New York Times, the last inhabitants vacated the village back in the 1960s, with many leaving so abruptly that they left furniture and crockery behind in cupboards upon their exit (read: even more bonuses thrown in gratuito). But once upon a time the deserted community housed over 200 farm workers and artisans who worked on the estate.
Poggio Santa Cecilia has been part of the landscape for over 800 years, with military origins dating back to 1198. The village (and that’s the last time I refer to it as such, for fear of calling to mind the 2004 thriller of the same name) was once a castle fortress, and occupied a strategic border between Florence and Siena.
Its walls have witnessed numerous attacks and sieges over the centuries and have been rebuilt many times. The houses are Tuscan in style, with wooden doors beams and terracotta floors. Plus there’s an 18th century villa, cellars, workshops and stables to get up and working if you have enough dough to spare.
It’s quite the fixer upper, but as the video suggests, it’s “a unique piece of Tuscan history in a stunning location with numerous possibilities once restored.”
Close enough to Siena to enjoy the food, culture and the Palio horse race held twice a year — but secluded enough to feel like you own your own Empire. Or who knows, maybe you could even be the first tenant to rent out a Medieval Airbnb village…
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