Tomasso Zanzotto is a former President at American Express and CEO of Hilton International spanning the 1970s into the ’90s.
He was a founder of The World Travel & Tourism Council and has served on many boards, helping incubate a number of travel technology companies. Charming would be an understatement, and having first met Tomasso when he was a titan of one of the travel industry’s titanic companies, I can say he was always very nice and always had a few minutes for some small talk, even if I was just a young guy with no particular credentials.
Our paths don’t cross that frequently anymore, however I know one of Tomasso’s passions since 1997 has been a loving restoration Castello di Santa Maria Novello, a building dating to the 10th century. So naturally it was great to get an email that from Tomasso stating, “The castle is now open!”
There are 19 double bedrooms in the castle, however it is perfectly suited for full takeovers, for family retreats, celebrations and of course weddings (A Romanesque-style church is part of the estate.) or even incentives and meetings. With 200 hectares of olive groves and vineyards there is plenty of room to enjoy the Tuscan countryside.
Castle staff can arrange cooking lessons and private art lectures. The venue is also suited for private concerts. A former wine cellar is a spectacular dining venue. There is a beautiful hilltop pool.
Having looked at the pictures I would recommend visiting soon. The one-of-a-kind estate can also be purchased for $25 million which I expect may happen sooner rather than later.
For more information, go to: www.castellodisantamarianovella.com
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