Inside the incredible 17th century abandoned castle that’s been empty for 20 years.. and is now up for auction

THESE are the incredible images of an Italian castle which stood abandoned for years, left in pristine condition by its absentee owners.

The Castello di Sammezzano in Tuscany, Italy, was built in the early 17th century by a Spanish noble called Ximenes of Aragon, centuries before being converted into a hotel and restaurant.

However, the hotel business was forced to close in the 1990s, leaving the castle abandoned in its pristine state following an extensive refurbishment in 1889.

And now the stunning property is up for auction, leaving conservation campaigners concerned that rather than remain empty – or be used as a museum – the castle will be turned into a luxury spa hotel.

Exterior... the view of the stunning property from its grounds CAters News 

 

Last year, the owners tried to auction the castle off with a target price of £31m, which proved to be far too expensive to attract any buyers.

Now the asking price is closer to £10.6 million, although it is unknown whether it will fetch that much when it goes under the hammer.

This series of stunning snaps was captured by Roman, 29, from the Netherlands.

He said that the fort, tucked away in the hills of northern Italy, stands on land owned by a succession of wealthy Italian families.

The interior is finished in the style of a Moroccan villa Caters News

Although vandals have scuffed the castle's exterior, it remains as stunning as ever inside Caters News

Roman added: “It's a long walk up to the castle through the surrounding forest, but it is absolutely breathtaking.

“I've tried to capture the amazing architecture of the place in the photos, showing as much of the rooms as possible.

“You can see the amazing hand crafted details here and there, especially in the lovely ceiling shot."

Stunning... the abandoned castle is now up for auction Caters News

The castle allegedly took over 40 years to plan, finance and build Caters News

He continued: “It's just unbelievable a place like this exists and has been built thanks to the work of one man.

“I simply couldn't believe how beautiful it was and when I saw it in real life I sat inside on the floor for a couple of minutes just taking in what I was seeing

“A group of volunteers is now trying to save the castle from being auctioned to the highest bidder and, while the volunteers would like to see it open as a museum, they fear it will become a luxury spa hotel.”

Conservationists are campaigning to secure the castle's future Caters News

The property is tucked away in the hills of northern Italy Caters News

Finished in the style of a Moroccan villa, the castle allegedly took over 40 years to plan, finance and build, and boasts 365 separate rooms - one for each day of the year.

The property was ravaged by German soldiers hundreds of years later during the Second World War, when statues and fountains were vandalised or looted by marauding troops.

Soldiers even managed to steal an entire bridge from the castle’s grounds, and it has once again become a vandal’s paradise since it was left abandoned in the 1990s.

There are hopes that the winning bidder will return the castle to its true former glory or conserve it for future generations, although campaigners fear it will probably be redeveloped into a luxury tourist attraction.