For someone whose stated mission is to at the very least be aware of everything there is to know about Tuscany, coming to terms that this is not the case isn't exactly easy. Quite recently, as I was scouring the internet for interesting stories, I came across some amazing pictures. Problem is, they didn't look anything like Tuscany. If all, they looked like they were coming from either India or the Middle East, something that puzzled me to no end. When I realised that such a place actually exists, I was flabbergasted. How come I knew nothing about it? It's not like it's in the middle of nowhere, just some 20 miles from Florence. When I found out why is that the case, I was even more surprised. The problem is that this ancient castle transformed into a kaleidoscope of colours in the late 19th century is impossible to visit. Why, you might ask? Because it's been abandoned decades ago and is literally falling apart. This explains why this week What's Up Tuscany will bring you to Reggello to tell you everything there is to know about the amazing Sammezzano Castle, the Tuscan Taj Mahal you can't visit.

If you listen to the full epidode you will learn about the ancient origins of this castle, how in 780 hosted for a few days none other than Emperor Charlemagne and how it progressively lost its military significance. After going from one noble Florentine family to the other, the Medicis turned it into one of their favourite hunting reserves. Grand Duke Ferdinand didn't like it too much, so it sold the castle to a powerful Spanish family that had plenty of assets in Tuscany. The transformation happened from 1853 to 1889 under the direction of a marquis that was quite the character: while having never left Tuscany, he adored the East, so much that he trained a number of local workers to imitate Moorish and Indian techniques to replicate the landmarks he read about in his beloved books. The palace was so amazing that even the King of Italy had to see it with his own eyes. Building from scratch something that can rival both the Alhambra and the Taj Mahal is truly an amazing feat.

Unfortunately, it were the extravagant decorations to doom the splendid castle. The marquis heirs couldn't care less about living in such a weird place and let it be ransacked by looters until there was almost nothing left. Several owners tried turning it into a luxury hotel but they ultimately failed as it was so expensive to maintain. Now the castle is for sale and people hope that the new owners will want to bring it back to its heyday. In the final chapters I'll describe you the amazing park, which hosts many giant sequoias brought from California, the stuff that you can do in the area and an ancient tavern turned hotel where you can either stay or have an amazing meal. While it's impossible to enter it, Sammezzano from the outside is stunning enough. Think about visiting it next time you're around. It needs all the attention it can get: such an amazing place simply cannot disappear.
Email: podcast@larno.it
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it
Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany

LINKS TO SOURCES
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/sammezzano-the-most-magnificent-castle-you-cannot-see
https://www.archeotravelers.com/en/2020/07/31/sammezzano-castle-a-corner-of-the-east-in-tuscany/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/tuscany/articles/sammezzano-tuscan-castle-up-for-sale-14-million/
https://www.marieclaire.it/lifestyle/viaggi/a38548856/castello-di-sammezzano/
https://www.toscana.info/firenze/provincia/castello-di-sammezzano/
https://www.sammezzano.info/
https://www.villarigacci.it/

BACKGROUND MUSIC
Pipe Choir - Bom Bom Breakthrough (Instrumental)
Profound Beats - Lo-fi
Pipe Choir - Almost Time (Instrumental)
Pipe Choir - Fortress (Instrumental)
Inova - Seamonster
Pipe Choir - Followers (Instrumental)
Wayne John Bradley - Blues Rock Original Instrumental
All released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-bom-bom-breakthrough-creative-commons-instrumental
https://soundcloud.com/profoundbeats/profound-beats-lo-fi-free-download
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipe-choir-almost-time-instrumental-creative-commons
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pc-one-fortress-instrumental
https://soundcloud.com/argofox/inova-seamonster
https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipechoir-followers-instrumental
https://soundcloud.com/ayneohnradley/blues-rock-original-instrumentalcreative-commons
http://www.pipechoir.com/