User:Gaetano d'Afflitto/sandbox

'''The History '''

The first territorial urbanization of Castel Ruggero is Roman, more precisely during the Hellenistic period, second half of the second century B.C. The settlement was then close to the main Etruscan and Roman road, which more or less now corresponds to the current Via di Castel Ruggero. Remains of archeological sites have been repeatedly detected and recorded by the local Archaeological Institution, partly preserved at the museum of San Francesco in Greve. The location on the very populated road from Florence, further consolidated the Roman settlements in Castel Ruggero until the third century A.D.

Alamanni family, ran the estatesince the second half of the fifteenth century. The agricultural center was built transforming the ancient fortress in villa and giving it the architectural shape still largely preserved. The Alamanni resided here between 1400 and 1600: not only Piero Alamanni, an eminent Florentine politician and ambassador of the Republic (his famous ambassador Gian Galeazzo Visconti in 1487), but also his even more illustrious son, Luigi Alamanni. Luigi loved Agriculture and practiced all his knowledge at  Castel Ruggero where he completed his most famous work, the poem "The cultivation", published in Paris in 1546. After the exile of Louis Alamanni  Castel Ruggero was bought by  the Niccolini family.

In 1929 Pecchioli family bought the villa. Under Folco Pecchioli, Castel Ruggero is managed as an Agricultural investment, with a strong philanthropic ideal as demonstrated by the establishment of the "Rural School Ugo Foscolo", (Pecchioli was a descendant of the poet's side mother), well known in the area for basic education of children. Later, in 1956, he created the artificial lake of Castel Ruggero, connected by a capillary water supply to all the estate. In 1967/68, Farm and Villa were divided equally between his two daughters, Lidia Elena, married Pellegrini, and Ilda, married d’Afflitto.

In the 70s, on the property specialized vineyards are planted based on new concepts.

Since 1995 the Villa is notified by the State, protected as a building of historical importance.

'''The Architecture '''

The villa adopted, during the late seventeenth century, a structure similar to the current. The entrance gallery with a system of blind arches supported by pillars, a branch that leads to the upper floors and large living area overlooking the Italian garden. The facade and low long, arranged L-shaped on two fronts, stronger, as the chapel and the scalloped wall, the appearance of the Tuscan villa of that time: the structure is simple, interrupted at the end by a tower. That was certainly not the only one as we can see in a Camille Corot Painting, early nineteenth century, now exposed at the Louvre Museum.

The Walter bought the Villa in 1866 and maintained the property until 1900, when  the estate passed to Brichieri Colombi family, who held it until 1914. Under Thomas Phillip Price, owner until 1926, the Villa goes under structural modifications : the stone window frames, chimneys, many coffered ceilings, doors, often with beautiful bronze handles, everything inside the villa was carefully restored and partly refurbished with philological and antiquarian taste. The cellar were Chianti Classico wines are still produced dates back to 1200 and conserves its antique Roman structure.

'''The Estate '''

On a hill located about 15 kms from Florence, stands the magnificent Villa/Fattoria of Castel Ruggero. Castel Ruggero estate is composed by over 300 hectares of land at an altitude of 250 meters above sea level, 40 of which are planted with specialized vineyards and the rest being olive groves and woods.