A medieval fortress above the rooftops of Florence. Castello di Vincigliata stands on a rocky hill near Fiesole, its crenellated walls, square tower, arched entrance, and weathered stone courtyard overlooking the Arno valley. The site was first recorded in 1031, when it belonged to the powerful Visdomini family, and later passed through the Cattani da Diacceto and Alessandri families before centuries of neglect reduced it to romantic ruins. In 1855, the Englishman John Temple Leader discovered the remains while walking in the hills and bought the estate, determined to recreate the medieval stronghold he imagined had once stood there. Working with the young Florentine architect Giuseppe Fancelli, he rebuilt Vincigliata between 1855 and 1865 in a richly romantic neo-Gothic style, employing local masons, sculptors, painters, glaziers, and craftsmen. Leader added towers, battlements, heraldic shields, a chapel, gardens, terraces, and a surrounding woodland of cypresses and pines, blending genuine medieval fragments with 19th-century fantasy. Inside, rescued 14th-century frescoes, antique furnishings, and historic artworks reinforce the impression of an ancient Florentine castle. Today Vincigliata remains one of the most atmospheric viewpoints around Florence, used for private events and weddings.
Interesting facts...
During the Second World War, the castle became Campo P.G. 12, a secretive prisoner-of-war camp for high-ranking British and Commonwealth officers captured by the Germans. Ironic given it was made by an Englishman. Among the prisoners was General Sir Archibald Wavell, former Commander-in-Chief of the British Army.
In April 1944, several plucky prisoners escaped through a tunnel dug beneath the castle walls .
Queen Victoria visited Vincigliata in 1893, helping turn John Temple Leader's reconstructed castle into an international curiosity.
Much of what looks authentically medieval is actually Victorian, Leader rebuilt the castle almost from the ground up, creating a carefully staged version of the Middle Ages from fragments, imagination, and local craftsmanship. The castle's surviving heraldic shields and 14th-century fresco cycle were incorporated into the restoration, making it difficult to tell where the original fortress ends and the 19th-century recreation begins.
Location: Via di Vincigliata 21, Fiesole, Florence, Italy
