415 Castello dei Pecorari

Castello dei Pecorari is an XI° th century watchtower and Castle situated in the breathtaking scenery of Le Marche on the edge of the Apennines where Umbria, Tuscany, Emilia Romagna and Le Marche meet. Perched high on its own hilltop, commanding views down the beautiful rural Piobbico valley, the castle is a stone's throw from the famous medieval Ducal city of Urbino. The castle was once owned by the famous Ubaldini family and for centuries was part of a series of castles and watch-towers that acted as a communications network to the Castello Brancaleone in nearby Piobbico. The castle was last inhabited in the 1930s, before it was allowed to fall into its current ruined state. This is a unique opportunity to acquire a historical property that has privacy, space and endless opportunities in one of Italy's most beautiful and unspoilt regions. Often dubbed "the new Tuscany" the region boasts outstanding wines, cuisine and rare white truffles to be found at Acqualagna - one of Italy's two centres for the famous 'tartufi bianchi' or white truffles only 3 kms away from the Castle. The castle consists of a private estate of over 10 hectares (25 acres) of wooded and cultivated land, the majority of which is renowned locally as a good source for these famous white truffles. The dominating features of the castle, the entrance arch and the old keep sit on top of a hill at an altitude of 600 meter. The castle, although in disrepair, has received considerable attention form the current owners. Following a full survey and archaeological dig, the walls and foundations have been cleared and stabilized. The survey and dig proved the built up space of the property to have been 3200 m2 of inhabitable space, around a central courtyard and brought to life underground water reservoirs and special features such as a frigidarium and the heating system. The main access road up to the castle has been re-created, and a new side access road for service vehicles installed. The castle is now connected to the mains for the provision of water, electricity and services. Through a very well respected Architectural and Engineering firm - expert in the restoration of medieval properties full planning permission for the 3,200 m2 and 26 bedroom small luxury hotel and spa have been approved and are in place. This required approval from the Belle Arti (The National Trust), The Archeological authorities as well as the regional and local planning authorities. The Chapel at the rear of the courtyard is in the process of being restored to provide the option of a holiday home, staff quarters or church, depending on the castle's end usage. Whilst approval from the Belle Arti was required and the end result should be in keeping with the historical nature of the local region the castle is not listed. This allows for flexibility within the architectural plans and usage. Access to the property is good. The "Flaminia" one of Italy's main arterial routes between Venice and Rome is 5km away. International airports at Ancona (50mins), Rimini (45 mins) Forli (65 mins), Perugia (65 mins) Bologna (2 hours 15 mins) and Rome (3 hours 15 mins) provide considerable flexibility. For further information, to arrange a visit or to have access to the full portfolio of images and information please contact: Pegasus - Mr. Cesare Belpassi - www.castellodeipecorari.com