Massimo Ferragamo is a man of very fine taste. And the iconic Italian Ferragamo label is larger than ever, partly due to the epic demand for its goods in Asia Pacific. However, aside from assisting in the growth of his family’s fashion house, Ferragamo has been busy in recent years working on a totally different project: the Castiglion del Bosco.

“I couldn’t imagine doing this anyplace else,” he explains. “But then Tuscany somehow seems to be a part of all of our interior landscapes without us even knowing it, and without necessarily having to be Italian, we somehow understand the beauty. It is a magical combination of elements that just doesn’t exist anywhere else.”

23 impeccable suites and nine large villas lie around the heart of the property: the 12th century ruins piled high on a hill overlooking the property.

Once the home of a wealthy merchant family from Siena, the castle was originally constructed for its perfectly placed view of the pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome along which it resides. It was undoubtedly a stunning residence some 800 years ago and below its steps is the ‘Borgo,’ (which literally translates into village,) a series of 17th and 18th century farmhouses that have been renovated by Ferragamo into stunning suites. Previously available for Castiglion del Bosco members, this year also sees the stunning gates of this property in the middle of the Val d’Orcia National Park open to the public. A cobbled lane leads guests between the spa and the restaurants, the shop (of which all merchandise is hand-picked by Chiara Ferragamo,) and the varying suites built into two large buildings, one of which was the estate owner’s home, the other of which was the original winery for the Borgo.

The majority of the 4,200 acres on which Castiglion del Bosco resides are untouched and the properties have been restored with absolute authenticity and respect. Externally, each building has been carefully restored to reflect its original glory. Inside the original owner’s home, for example, the presidential suite showcases a beautiful dining and living room area in what was originally the ballroom. The furnishings are perfectly chosen to reflect the natural earth tones of the surrounding countryside, viewable from every window on the property and all restoration has been done to ensure absolute legitimacy.
“I wasn’t interested in copying anything that had been done before. I think it’s a duty to bring this place back to what is historically correct. When we finished it, it needed to look like we’d never stepped inside it,” Massimo explains.

From the outside, everything is restored to look as it did when built. Inside, Chiara has undertaken the interiors with perfection: antique furniture intercepts heavy, sumptuous fabrics of blended terracottas, greens and earth tones.

Living areas with roaring fires add warmth to neighbouring, regal bedrooms. Shuttered windows open onto views of the Borgo’s charming cobbled thoroughfare and most villas overlook nearby Montalcino across the vineyards. The property is tranquil and instantly calming, proving very popular with celebrity guests who want privacy and anonymous security; some villas are located up to 5km from the Borgo so one really has the sense of being on holiday alone in the middle of the Tuscan countryside.

“Tuscany is beautiful,” muses Massimo, “with a nice climate, good wine and nice places to visit. Castiglion del Bosco provides a way of being able to experience the real Tuscany from the ‘front row.’”

Dining in style
The property’s two restaurants offer the best of Italian cuisine: Ristorante del Drago offers classic Tuscan fare in a formal but utterly beautiful setting while la Canonica is a typical Italian Trattoria, serving up classics such as perfect Caprese salad, lots of Pecorino and homemade spaghettis. Originally the priest’s house of the village, it is also home to the property’s cooking school. Just outside its wooden doors is the ‘Orto’ (kitchen garden) where over 180 vegetables grow, all hedged with tiny wild strawberry bushes. Guests keen to hone their traditional Tuscan cookery skills can take lessons with in-house chefs utilising whatever they have picked from outside.

Residing in the heart of the coveted Brunello wine region, the ‘Capanna’ vineyard on the southern side of the property was reputedly one of the major selling points that convinced Ferragamo to buy it in the first place.
“I thought, looking at the land, and what was a huge combination of real estate and wine, that they could help each other,” Massimo explains. “I was greatly motivated by the desire to bring the land back to life. It’s very rare to get an opportunity like this in Italy.”

While the northern vineyards’ clay soil and humid atmosphere produces delicious day-to-day wines such as the Rose de Montalcino, the southern, rockier soils, located at a higher altitude and cooled with a gentle sea breeze, are ripe for making Brunello. A complex wine released five years after production, it is created using coveted Sangiovese grapes from the area and is stored underneath the property’s new winery until it is ready for release (the original has now been transformed into suites.) All members have private wine lockers in the round members’ room, which initially strikes one as a setting from an Ian Fleming novel, where bottles can be sampled and temperatures are strictly controlled.

The pinnacle of Castiglion del Bosco’s wine production is the Campo de Drago, named after its vineyard on the property and produced only when the harvest is absolutely perfect. The winery is overseen by local Oenologist Cecilia Leoneschi, a young curly-haired Tuscan woman, whose passion for wine and knowledge emanates as she speaks. She is a perfect guide for those looking to invest, buy, or simply learn more about the area’s wine-producing history.

Action and relaxation
Such attention to detail is not limited to the winery. The golf course, designed by Tom Weiskopf, will open a further nine holes this year (nine were previously finished) and I’m told the sand from the bunkers cost €2m and had to be shipped in from Germany. Pink in hue, its colour blends with the surrounding countryside far better than bright, white sand and apparently makes tricky shots from sand bunkers a little less painful than large sand, which tends to funnel golf balls. Golf fanatics will know Weiskopf as the former PGA Tour and Champions Tour player who has designed close to 40 courses around the world in recent years. His designs have received immense praise, including the infamous Loch Lamond venue for the Scottish Open from 1995-2010. Sadly, the course won’t be open to the public but this does ensure much better play for guests and will no doubt only enhance the exclusivity of this course, which is manicured to perfection.

For those not interested in getting a tee time, the Daniela Steiner skin care system in the property’s small but idyllic spa may garner greater interest. Everything from slimming body treatments to eyebrow tinting, luxury facials to pedicures are available using her wonderful products and, as the popularity of Castiglion del Bosco grows, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn the spa had extended too, though its intimate size makes it a very cosy pampering space.

Window of opportunity
Castiglion del Bosco members undoubtedly played a large part in the property’s initial development and there are still openings for those interested in investing. €1m is required to consolidate membership, and then €40,000 is paid as annual dues, giving six weeks of villa accommodation and priority choice with visitation dates.

Those not looking for long-term commitment can book in as guests for a relaxing weekend or for a villa-based summer holiday and it’s likely you’ll see Massimo, Chiara and their children while you’re there as they visit from their New York base regularly. I only had two days and nights myself but even those few hours afforded me the time to wander through the vineyards, eat to bursting point within the gorgeous restaurants and really soak in my suite’s enormous bathtub. The early spring rain was falling but the property was no less beautiful and convinced me, absolutely, of what magnificent attention to detail those Ferragamo’s possess and why their legacy will live on, not only thanks to their father’s shoe designs.