VILLA SONNINO

Built in the 16th century, Villa Sonnino is situated halfway up a hillside near San Miniato, midway between Pisa and Florence, in the area known as La Catena. A long avenue of cypress trees winds its way up, blending into a much larger expanse of greenery where the silhouette of the Villa can be glimpsed.

The attentive observer will notice the presence of a recently restored parish church on the neighboring hill, along with the village it overlooks: Cigoli.

Illustrious families have owned the Villa throughout the centuries. The Grifoni family, originally from San Miniato and fiercely loyal to the Medici, is believed to have purchased the estate in the 1600s. Around 1880, it was acquired by the Sonnino family, a family of Jewish origin listed in the Golden Book of Italian Nobility.
His Majesty Umberto I, King of Italy, granted the title of Baron to this family, to which the Minister Sidney Sonnino belonged.
Born in Pisa in 1847, Giorgio Sidney Sonnino later came into possession of the Villa. A Member of Parliament from 1880 to 1919, he served as Minister of Finance on two occasions.

Notable artists have worked on this Villa, including Antonio Ferri, a Florentine architect, and Carlo Marcellini, an artist of the late Baroque Florentine culture. The Villa remained the property of the Sonnino family until 1946.

In 2000, the hotel, the Castelvecchio Restaurant, the conference hall, and other common areas were inaugurated. Our kitchen facilities span three floors, accessible by two modern elevators.

The hotel offers single and double en-suite rooms, as well as a Junior Suite.