Erfgoedlijst 14 slaapkamers, 1200 m²

Vacone, Rieti (provincie)

sabina

IL CASTELLO DI VACONE 

In Italy there is a special place far from the frenzy of the modern world, yet close to Rome.
It is Vacone Castle.
It is so old that even the stones have forgotten their origin. A place where the air is so crystalline, the light so bright that the eyes struggle to stay open during the dazzling sunny days. A place where the silence is so infinite that it almost seems like a melody. A place with such an ancient history, more than 1000 years, whose memory is lost in the mists of time.
Kings, counts, dukes, popes, have walked among those ancient walls, prayed in the silent chapel, rested their tired bodies under the centuries-old holm oak.
Everything is magic. Everything is mystery. Everything is fascinating.
The Castle is located in one of the many small Italian villages where people still live as they did a hundred years ago. There is no traffic, no noise, no pollution. The few inhabitants live peacefully and immersed in a nature of extraordinary beauty.
The Castle dominates the center of the small medieval village of Vacone which is located in Lazio (on the Sabine Mountains), just an hour's drive from Rome and its airports (70 km, about 45 ml).
About 50 people live in the village and there is only one access road that branches off from the provincial road. Once you reach the top you can enjoy an extraordinary panoramic view of the valley and the surrounding hill range. The area is known for its uncontaminated and peaceful nature, the still mostly agricultural economy and the absence of industrial pollution.
The Castle is looking for a gentleman or a gentlewoman who will love it, take care of it and bring it back to its ancient splendor. And finally the silence will be broken and songs and voices will resonate in the silent rooms. Everything will come back to life.
A magical and fascinating place that could be a real kingdom, as well as an oasis of tranquility, for those who decide to buy it.

DESCRIPTION
The Castle is composed of two buildings, a courtyard-belvedere and a garden. It was structurally consolidated in the early 90s (the electrical, hydraulic and heating systems were redone) but today it requires renovation work.
The area on which the complex stands is approximately 1660 square meters, located on the top of the historic center and entirely surrounded by walls. It has a double entrance: the main one from the Town Hall square and one behind, as a "vehicular" access to the stables. The buildings, which measure approximately 1500 square meters in total, are two: one master building and one service building. The master building consists of three floors, two of which are above ground, which stand on a surface area of ​​approximately 350 square meters. The third in the basement, where the old kitchens are located and which until the 90s was used as a restaurant, can also be accessed from the main street of the village.
Inside the main building there are large reception rooms, mostly frescoed and with coffered ceilings.
The second building, stands on a surface of about 125 square meters and is divided from the main one by an internal courtyard. It is spread over three floors above ground and is connected to the stables which are accessed from the carriage entrance.
The floors are mostly in period terracotta, the roof covering is with hipped pitches and a tiled mantle.
A watchtower accessible from the second floor is located on the north end.
The entire structure is in good condition.
The Castle represents an excellent opportunity to be transformed into a hotel/conference center, retreat/silence center to which a restaurant can certainly be added.
It is possible to convert the Castle into an "Ancient Residence" in collaboration with the Superintendence for Italian Cultural Heritage. This means it would be possible to obtain subsidized loans and financing for the restoration.
A special mention goes to the rear garden, which is occupied for just under half of its surface by the exceptional foliage of a centuries-old holm oak, one of the greatest naturalistic and environmental assets offered by the area, which is connected to the stables.

CURIOSITIES
There are many special places in the Castle: a secret window on an adjacent church where it is possible to attend Mass; a very large underground cistern for rainwater of about 5000 liters.

HISTORY
The Castle of Vacone has pre-Roman origins. It is in fact possible that on the acropolis of the hill there was an ancient sanctuary dedicated to the Sabine goddess Vacuna, from which the castle takes its name.
The first news about the castle dates back to the Middle Ages. In fact, in 1027 Susanna di Landolfo and Taxia and her husband Attone ceded their parents' entire inheritance in the castle of Vacone to the monastery of Farfa. It later passed to the Ogdolina family who sold it to Pope Gregory IX in 1237. In 1364 the castle passed to the Orsini family and in 1518 Cecilia Orsini gave it as a dowry to Alberto Pio of Savoy. Then it passed