The castle of La Suvera sits on one of the hills overlooking Siena, surrounded by vineyards and dense woods and perfectly located for visits to the hill towns of Siena and San Gimignano. Previously the papal retreat of Pope Julius II, it was transformed by the architect Peruzzi from a simple manor house to the spectacular Renaissance villa it is today. In 1989 the Marchese Ricci and his wife Principessa Eleonora Massimo transformed the villa into a luxury hotel (it was previously their weekend house) and are often seen at weekends and during the holidays entertaining their paying guests.
The twelve suites are stuffed to bursting with priceless antiques which according to the National Geographic "the curators of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art would jump through hoops" for. These include the splendid field bed of Tommaso of Savoy, the Duke of Genoa in the Maiolica suite and the amazing collection of Biedermeier pieces in the Marchesa Rosalia Eustace suite. Other rooms in the surrounding stables and farm buildings are just as comfortable and rather more soothing than the rich opulence of the main villa suites.
There is charming swimming pool made from one of the palazzo's fishing ponds and a seriously delicious restaurant, housed in the old olive mill which recently received the much coveted Gambero Rosso three golden keys.
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