Château for sale in Località Polgeto, Umbertide, Perugia, Umbria, Italy

The Castello di Polgeto Estate is one of the best hidden secrets in Umbria. It was built in 1399 on the site of a fortified post dating back to 1152 ad belonging to Biagio di Buto, an exile from Perugia. In 1359 the General Council of Perugia gave the men of Polgeto the license to build some houses around the fortress of Biagio to protect them against the enemies of Perugia. In 1410 it had 99 inhabitants and in 1438 was considered an important fortress for the validity of the defence system.

In 1643 Polgeto Castle was used as the head quarters for the Tuscans whilst they attempted to take Umbertide from Pope Urbano VIII.

In the 1700’s the old Castle underwent significant structural interventions which adapted the internal areas to suit the housing needs of the time. After 1760 the castle belonged to Giovanni Andrea and Niccolò Guardabassi who was the founder of the first Masonic Triangle of Perugia. Eventually the estate came to Zeffirino di Marino II who passionately dedicated himself to increasing the production of agricultural land, which counts for the rolling fields that the Castle looks over today.

Castello di Polgeto is one of the best-preserved castles in Umbria having been occupied almost continuously, never left to deteriorate. It sits between The Reschio Estate, famed for its recently opened luxury hotel and the Antognolla Estate, both 18km from Polgeto. In recent years it has been well restored and turned into a private residence and used as a stately home. Castles are often not the most comfortable places to reside they often severely lack natural light, are full of corridors and many small chambers. Polgeto, thanks to the previous owner, a renowned New York Architect purchased in the mid-sixties and gave the Castle natural light. Since then, the current owners have brought Castello di Polgeto into the 21st century.

Upon arrival you find a large gravel piazza with parking and access to the 50 square meter garage. At this point you look up to an ivy clad wall of the five-storey east tower and an enormous ancient arched carriage door with an incorporated pedestrian entrance. This is where the magic starts, there is little you can do but gasp when stepping through this doorway. You are now in an antique architectural wonderland looking down a stone paved carriageway between the main Castle structure and the secondary structure that once housed the estate workers and castle staff. A left turn takes you through a wide vaulted tunnel to experience the glorious view over the 52 hectares of woodland and manicured fields. From this point you can feel the power of the huge noble structures surrounding you and the mature groomed gardens.

The castle has two main structures the main one of these (1,325 square meters) has been fully restored to a high standard accessed just passed the Estate Managers apartment close to the carriage Doors. The old brick and stone staircase take you through all four floors with the main living area. On the first level there are a series of panoramic windows through the billiard room to the library and then to the grand living room of 115 square meters with a huge panoramic window, high ceilings and a feature stone fireplace. From here you can take the stone staircase down to the dining hall and fully fitted kitchen with Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances. Here you can reach the outdoor dining area, children’s playroom of 63 square meters with access to a grass play area.

The other two floors are dedicated to bedrooms some with living rooms attached, all with private bathrooms and the primary suite with its huge living area divided by a central fireplace to the bedroom with two separate full bathrooms and walk in closets. There are nine bedrooms and thirteen bathrooms in this core section, all individually designed and fit perfectly into the character of the Castle. The main East tower on five floors which, although structurally sound, is ready for renovation and the garage which requires restoration.

The second main structure (540 square meters) is fully functionable and in very good condition except for the West tower on four floors with its mysterious and unusual circular central column which is left to a builder’s finish. There are various storage and cantinas on the ground floor and four en-suite bedrooms on the first and second level.

The other auxiliary buildings include the “Lemonia” (135 square meters) on three floors in excellent structural condition, the barn (58 square meters), and technical annex (17 square meters). There is also a lower floor to the main structure containing several prison cells and a renovated WC where the cellar rooms exit to the ground floor level.

On the grounds there are elegantly groomed mature gardens that lead to the 15 x 4-meter black lined, heated, infinity pool. The infinity swimming pool is nestled unobtrusively on the edge of the ancient olive grove with a breath-taking view of the rolling hills. Walking distance from the pool through various stone pathways through arches of roses, jasmine, and other fragrant creepers is a recently built walled tennis court with a small pavilion. Just above the tennis court is an illuminated tree house, big enough to host over twenty dinner guests. Access to the tree house is from above where there is also an Italian style bowls court. Castelo di Polgelto is surrounded by a total of 54 hectares of land. The land is comprised of approximately 30 hectares of arable land, 1 hectare of olive trees, 23 hectares of woodland, and a small lake used for irrigation. Currently the land is farmed by a local farmer on a short renewable rental contract.

There is an Estate Manager who lives in the Castello year-round. She organizes and manages everything. When there are problems, she is the one who calls the right person to fix the problems. She also plans and organizes the arrival of the owners and their guests. The Estate Manager is an important feature to Castello di Polgeto that helps keep everything running smoothly with or without owner occupancy.

This Castle is currently a private home. It is a timeless rare example that has not been ruined by careless restoration.