These <b>leopoldine</b> are just a few kilometers from <b>Castiglion Fiorentino</b> and <b>Cortona</b>, in the heart of <b>Valdichiana</b>. The buildings have recently been consolidated with a total remake of roofs and slabs and only need finishing touches.The complex (over 4,000 sqm in total) is an incredible investment opportunity, with the possibility of creating a <b>luxury boutique hotel</b> or a series of villas to be rented separately. Next to it, roughly <b>7.7 hectares</b> of outdoor spaces allow the creation of gardens and parks for each of the villas.<br/> The closest services are encountered by taking the road towards Castiglion Fiorentino (roughly 2 km) or directly in the town (5km; 10’). Thanks to its location at the border between <b>Tuscany</b> and <b>Umbria</b>, the property is also convenient to reach the most renowned centers of the two regions (Arezzo, Montepulciano, Cortona, Siena, Florence, Perugia, Castiglione del Lago…).<br/><br/> <b>DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDINGS</b><br/> <b>Villa San Luigi</b> (520 sqm – 5,595 sqft) and <b><i>leopoldina</i> San Isidoro</b> (1.160 sqm – 12,482 sqft) make up the first podere along the road branching from Montecchio. The two buildings are located next to each other and are the only ones showing signs of previous expansions: the leopoldina no longer has a square plan, having been almost doubled along one side and expanded with a later outbuilding on the right side of the façade. At the same time, the barn has been enlarged by adding a residential wing at one extremity, ending into what is, effectively, a villa.<br/><br/> The other poderi, located on opposite sides of the road, are all made up of a <i>leopoldina</i> (usually intact in its original shape) and a barn, with variation only emerging when looking at the sizes. Specifically, we find <b><i>podere</i> San Benedetto</b> (<i>Leopoldina</i>: 436 sqm – 4,691 sqft + Barn: 327 sqm – 3,518 sqft) on the same side as San Isidoro, while <b><i>podere</i> Sant’Agata</b> (<i>Leopoldina</i>: 468 sqm – 5,036 sqft + Barn: 327 sqm – 3,519 sqft) and <b><i>podere</i> San Leopoldo</b> (<i>Leopoldina</i>: 551 sqm – 5,929 sqft + Barn: 298 sqm – 3,206 sqft) are on the other side.<br/><br/> Finally, between San Isidoro and San Benedetto but on the opposite side of the road, was once <b><i>podere</i> San Giuseppe</b>, virtually identical to the others in shape (but demolished in 1967). The buildings are no longer there but cadastral documents give a pretty clear idea of what the podere looked like. If interested, one could forward a plan to rebuild both the leopoldina (582 sqm – 6,262 sqft) and the barn (416 sqm – 4,476 sqft). In that case, the two buildings can benefit from modern construction techniques and better efficiency, while respecting the original look of the leopoldina.<br/><br/> <b>STATE AND FINISHES</b><br/> Valdichiana was, until the 16th century, a marshland, hard to cross and even harder to cultivate and exploit. Charts traced by <b>Leonardo Da Vinci</b> in its first attempt at reclaiming the land show how water from river <b>Clanis</b> had become stagnant in the valley.<br/> Started under the Medici, the huge process of reclamation was carried out by the Lorena family, under the guidance of Ferdinand III and <b>Pietro Leopoldo</b>: between 1765 and 1790 works proceeded quickly and farmers started “colonizing” the valley, building those farmhouses that soon after took the name of Leopoldine. These buildings were all designed following a basic pattern: a square plan, with a turret and a loggia on the ground floor.<br/><br/> Currently, the buildings are in good structural shape thanks to a series of interventions carried out in recent times. Inside, ceilings and slabs have been restored while the rest of the building is currently in builder’s finish, so a potential buyer will have total freedom as far as finishes and systems are concerned.<br/><br/> <b>EXTERIORS</b><br/> As for outdoor spaces, poderi Sant’Agata, San Benedetto and San Giuseppe (which are located on the same side of the road, northwest) have been given a single <b>46,700-sqm</b> area to create gardens: this surface could clearly be divided into multiple lots for each leopoldina.<br/> Poderi San Luigi / San Isidoro, since they have a much larger volume that was supposed to become the core of the boutique hotel with the wellness center, have been given a private surface of approximately <b>18,800 sqm</b>. Finally, podere San Benedetto, on the same side of San Isidoro, is given a private outdoor space of <b>12,000 sqm</b>.<br/><br/> These generous outdoor spaces, covering a total of almost 77,500 sqm</b>, are perfect to landscape beautiful gardens, orchards and Italian parks to embellish the villas. If one wants to go on with the boutique hotel project, these outdoor areas could be used for events and/or parking areas for the guests.<br/><br/> Another interesting detail, the area surrounding the leopoldine is currently being exploited to harvest medicinal herbs with rigorous organic methods: this means that no chemicals are used in the vicinity and the area is surrounded by green.<br/><br/> <b>USE AND POTENTIAL USES</b><br/> The property, featuring huge volumes and outdoor areas, was carefully studied to convert into an accommodation business. For this, the idea was to convert San Isidoro into a luxury boutique hotel with its own wellness center on the ground floor, while the other leopoldine (including San Giuseppe to be rebuilt) were planned to include guest rooms. The proposed project aimed at creating almost 50 suites for the guests, next to a restaurant, a bar, wellness center with pool, parking area for the guests and huge gardens for events and meetings. All while respecting the historic features of the buildings and valorizing the area.<br/><br/> Alternatively, it is also worth mentioning that the distance between the leopoldine (200/250 m on each side of the road) grants privacy to each house: because of this, buying the whole complex could also allow renting each of the buildings separately once renovations are completed.