The Castello and the surrounding 4,200-acre estate were once owned by the Bargagli family, an ancient and noble family of Siena. With account books dating as far back as 1680, we have insights to the events that influenced the economy and culture of farm life in Tuscany. The castle and the farmhouses were central to the local economy - producing grapes, olives, wheat and sunflowers. From the 1950’s the estate has been home to movie stars and Italian nobility. Luchino Visconti, a renowned Italian director, lived in the Castello with his brother and Austrian actor Helmut Berger. Visconti, who is best known for his work on the 1963 film “The Leopard,” worked with stars such as Burt Lancaster and Marcello Mastroianni. He lived lavishly at the Castello, and was rumoured to have housed his many mistresses in the surrounding Casali.

During the current restoration, a number of significant Etruscan artifacts have been unearthed, such as ceramic urns and objects d’arte, which are registered with the local historical commission and loaned to a nearby museum.