A hilltop Tuscan estate that once gave refuge to Dante is being revived and transformed into 14 apartments.
The legendary poet is said to have taken shelter in the estate’s former medieval castle after he was exiled from Florence. In the 16th century, the castle was replaced by Villa Capponi, which gets its name from the Florentine political dynasty who lived there in the late 1700s. The Capponi family extensively remodelled it, introducing graffito façades, frescoes and limestone busts across the 25-acre estate.
These historic features have been gently restored throughout the Italian property, which is located near Sesto Fiorentino – a 15-minute drive from central Florence. It has been converted into apartments with one, two or three bedrooms. They will go on sale this autumn, starting from €500,000 (email sales@villa-capponi.com).
Villa Capponi’s original reception rooms have been revived to their 18th-century appearance, and reimagined as the Villa Resident’s Club – a shared space for inhabitants of the estate.
Future residents will be able to roam the estate’s English gardens and formal Italian gardens, use the tennis courts and go for some preening in the health spa. They will also be able to enjoy the spoils from the estate’s vineyards, olive groves and kitchen gardens.
