king of the castellos: Tuscany's dreamiest hotel
On the road between Florence and Rome, nestled among a dense Tuscan woodland, lies a hotel that has been welcoming guests for over two decades. Yet its walls have stood for more than 900 years.
After its days as a mediaeval castle had passed, it remained a ruin for centuries. It was only in the 1970s, when Carlo and Aurora Baccheschi-Berti acquired and breathed new life into the Castello di Vicarello, that its grounds were revitalised and redefined. Together with their three sons, they have created an award-winning hotel which, according to CEO, Neri Baccheschi-Berti, is only just getting started.
From Condé Nast Gold List awards to Michelin Keys, the Castello’s array of accolades speak for the exquisite levels of hospitality which are at once luxurious and laid-back. It is difficult, therefore, to imagine that Neri’s parents were never set on developing a hotel. They had fallen in love with this crumbling structure in Maremma, which then (and still now) was a relatively unknown part of Tuscany.
The decision to buy the dilapidated site was almost instantaneous. They restored it with the intention of creating a holiday home to return to whilst living in Indonesia. After a few years of hosting loved ones, it became apparent that the Baccheschi-Bertis had created something quite special. The next step? Opening their doors to the public.
The whole family is now involved in growing and preserving the Castello’s thriving world; this too was not the plan to begin. “It was all completely natural,” affirms Neri, who hadn’t envisioned running the hotel. After years of working in finance in major cosmopolitan cities, a motorbike accident brought him back to the Castello to recover. It was then, when he slowed down and took in the place his parents had resurrected, that he decided to swap big city life for a Tuscan bucolic dream (although Vico Milano, the sister hotel in Milan, does offer the excuse for urban bouts throughout the year). “I fell in love with the castello all over again and wanted to continue building and developing it.” Eight years later, armed with bountiful corporate experience, Neri has brought rigorous operational management to a warm, welcoming home.
The work never stops. Whilst there are plans to create more rooms, the total will not exceed fifteen. The castle must remain a quiet escape from the busy everyday.
Keeping the hotel small is the secret to its success. It reinforces the feeling of ease and familiarity. Neri is determined to shed any traces of rigid hospitality where a reception desk barricades guest from host. The castello’s time as a holiday home has not ended; the family still welcomes guests as if they were old friends.
At least one Baccheschi-Berti is on site at all times. You might spot them around the grounds picking mulberries for dessert one day, inspecting the grapes used to produce their wine or chatting with visitors in the indoor veranda overlooking lofty cypress trees and manicured lawns another.
The hotel suites further underscore this sense of belonging. As in an elegant country house, each bedroom at Castello di Vicarello has a completely different identity. From the classic Torre Suite, located at the highest point of the castle, with its marble bathtub, walk-in wardrobe and free-standing four poster bed to the contemporary Spa Suite, constructed entirely out of wood and glass, the styles change but the philosophy does not. Comfort, aesthetic and quality reign.
Furniture and art are sourced by the family at auctions and fairs—or made by local artisans whom they commission to create site-specific pieces. Some of the castello’s collection, however, comes from further afield (think: pieces collected during their time living in Indonesia). This does not detract from the hotel’s fiercely Tuscan soul but rather underpins that it is so much more. Italian, yes, but also worldly, well-heeled and well-travelled. The family have embraced the challenge of maintaining the castle’s historical integrity whilst renovating and modernising. It is not easy to complement 12th-century stones with a sleek infinity pool, state-of-the-art creature comforts with East Asian artefacts. Yet, the Baccheschi-Bertis make it look effortless.
You cannot talk about Castello di Vicarello without mentioning food and wine. Since its opening, the hotel has always followed organic methods of farming and wine production—even before this became a fashionable movement in the hotel industry. Their farm-to-table approach lies at the heart of their dedication to authenticity. The location alone signals that following trends is not in their vocabulary. Maremma is far from the heavily beaten Tuscan track of Renaissance hubs and Chianti hinterlands. When they first purchased the plot, Aurora and Carlo were not choosing an ‘up and coming’ area nor looking for a profitable enterprise. They had simply fallen in love.
For the discerning traveller ready to explore the cracks and hidden corners of Tuscany, Castello di Vicarello is prepared to uncover them. Cooking classes, wine tastings, horse riding. Even the chance to live out a ‘dolce vita’ fantasy cruising the countryside in a vintage Fiat.
In the spring, you can hike through lush landscapes, as flowers enter their first bloom and the air gets warmer. In summer, an hour’s drive will take you to some of Italy’s most underrated beaches, and in the autumn, harvest wine and dig for truffles in auburn forests. Restful moments can be spent by the pool, having a massage in the bungalow spa or saluting the sun with views over the expansive countryside. Balmy nights demand dinners on the panoramic terraces whilst chillier evenings tempt you fireside in the cosy library.
The hotel is evergreen; each season has something different and compelling to offer. And the Baccheschi-Berti family will show you exactly what that is. Whatever time of year it may be.
Antonia Thomas
If you ever get the chance to travel with Antonia – particularly to Italy – consider yourself lucky. Relaxing trips are not in her holiday vernacular; instead, she uses her time off to explore deeply, to understand a place to its core. In short, she loves getting “stuck in”. A writer and Villa Specialist at The Thinking Traveller, Antonia’s always unveiling undiscovered gems and revealing untold stories. With a camera, a book, a pen and an overflowing suitcase in tow, this Londoner’s ready to dive into life in Italy or India, Costa Rica or Colombia. Come to Antonia for the greatest of tips for galleries, great wine and gustatory delights.
