Tuscan estate launches this summer

With apartments to buy, a beautiful hotel, and renovated casali available to buy, 2013 is a big year for Castelfalfi in Tuscany. This historic estate in the heart of Tuscany has 1,100 hectares of idyllic hillside, vineyards, olive groves and scattered dwellings, and its first property offering is set to complete this summer.

Maintaining the Tuscan elements of the existing structures has been at the heart of the project, say the developers. The first residential offering is the apartment buildings, situated in the estate's central borgo. Both La Terrazza 1 and La Ghialla buildings date back 300 years, and the restoration has been undertaken in an extremely careful way: the entirety of the original slate tiles found on the roof of La Ghialla were removed with the utmost care and laid onto the new, modernised roof, complete with insulation and weather protection, putting a modern spin on a traditional style.

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Technical Director of Castelfalfi, Felix Voisard, commented on the renovation of the apartment houses: ‘The restoration of the façades of La Ghialla has been so meticulous and subtle that it is hard to tell it has taken place at all - the true sign of high quality restoration work'. Wooden beams have been sourced to replicate appearance of the originals in the apartments by sourcing chestnut timbers from central Italy, but within the estate's inaugural hotel, La Tabaccaia, the original beams were salvaged and preserved, adding an authentic touch to the 31 guest rooms, as the beautifully-stained wood harkens back to the building's time as a tobacco factory. On the wider estate lie 18 Italian casali, which were uncovered in varying stages of decline. These properties benefit from an unsurpassable setting within Castelfalfi as well as panoramic views of the Tuscan landscape, and are set to be resurrected as luxury homes according to each buyer's specific tastes.

Four of these coveted properties are currently being renovated, and in some cases have had to be completely rebuilt.

Apartments are available from €230,000 to €800,000 (completion date summer 2013); Golf Villas are available from €1.2 million (Estimated build time 18-24 months); Farmhouse Villas - completed Casali from €2.6m including pool, gardens and guesthouse (estimated planning and restoration time 22-24 months). For more information visit the website http://castelfalfi.co.uk.