43.55°N 11.18°E, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, Tuscany
COMO Castello del Nero
The twelfth-century castle of the Del Nero and Torrigiani families in Chianti, COMO's first hotel in Europe: 50 rooms, starred La Torre and the Shambhala spa.
Photo: © COMO Hotels, official image from the property's website
Castello del Nero is a twelfth-century castle with medieval and Renaissance frescoes, on a hilltop between Tavarnelle and Barberino in the Florentine Chianti. It was the residence of the Del Nero, a noble Florentine family, and since 1825 it has belonged to the Torrigiani: Carlo Torrigiani and his American wife Anna Frey rescued it when it was reduced to ruins and turned it into a hotel, with a sixteenth-century private chapel dedicated to San Michele still in place.
The castle is not a backdrop: it produces the oil, the wine and the vegetables that reach the table, and the kitchen has a star for what it does with them.
In 2019, at the end of a new renovation, the castle became COMO Castello del Nero, the first hotel of the COMO group in continental Europe, with interiors by Milanese designer Paola Navone: stone, vaults and ancient fireplaces, and inside them a contemporary lightness that is the group's signature.
The estate covers 740 acres, about 300 hectares, with vineyards, olive groves and kitchen gardens that supply the restaurants: Florence is half an hour by car, Siena forty minutes.
Getting there
The address is Strada Spicciano 7, Barberino Tavarnelle, in the hills between the Val di Pesa and the Val d'Elsa, halfway between Florence and Siena along the highway that links them. Florence airport is half an hour away, Pisa an hour and a quarter, Rome Fiumicino three hours. The castle arranges transfers, and within the estate you move on foot, by bicycle or by shuttle.
The 50 rooms, the Podere, the Villa
The castle has 50 rooms and suites: the Estate Rooms and the Tavarnelle Rooms and Suites, bright, with Paola Navone's furnishings and views of the hills, and the three Heritage Suites in the oldest wings, with vaulted stone walls and period fireplaces. The largest is the COMO Suite, 90 square metres with Paola Navone's furnishings and a marble bathroom with bath and rain shower. Separately, on the estate, Podere San Filippo offers twelve self-catering apartments, and Villa San Luigi is a private five-bedroom villa for a family or group that wants its own house with the castle's services.
La Torre, La Taverna, the Pavilion
La Torre is the fine-dining restaurant: one Michelin star for twelve consecutive guides, with chef Giovanni Luca Di Pirro and three tasting menus, Evoluzione Vegetali, La Terra and Il Mare, built on the estate's kitchen garden, fruit trees, oil and cellar. In winter you dine under the vaults of the old stables, in summer on the terrace. La Taverna is the everyday kitchen and the place for cocktails, the Pavilion for lunches outdoors in fine weather; the thirteenth-century cellars host private wine and oil tastings for small groups.
The COMO Shambhala spa
The COMO Shambhala spa is dug into the hillside below the castle, with thermal pools, sauna, steam room and gym, plus the treatments and wellness programmes the group brings to all its hotels, from Asia to the Alps. Outdoors, the pool looks over the hills; on the estate there are tennis, bicycles for the paths between the vines, cooking classes and, in season, truffle hunting.
When to go
Chianti is at its best from April to October, with the harvest in September and October as the richest period; May and June have the long days and the green hills, July and August the heat, softened by the hill and the pool. Winter, with the fireplaces of the Heritage Suites and the spa, is a season worth considering for anyone coming for Florence and Siena rather than the landscape.
Who it is for, and who it is not for
It is the right choice for a couple or a family who want the Tuscany of the hills with the comfort of an international group: starred kitchen, spa, service, and the two art cities half an hour away. It is not the right choice for anyone looking for a family-run agriturismo with ten rooms and the owners at the table, or for anyone who wants the centre of Florence below the house: here you are in the countryside, and in the evening you return to the countryside.
Rates and conditions
Rates for rooms, the Podere apartments and Villa San Luigi are on the official website and change with the season; we do not quote them here because they would change before this page did. La Torre is booked separately and is open to non-residents too.
Frequently asked questions
How many rooms does COMO Castello del Nero have?
50 rooms and suites in the castle, including three Heritage Suites in the oldest wings; plus the twelve apartments of Podere San Filippo and Villa San Luigi, a private five-bedroom villa.
Does the restaurant La Torre have a Michelin star?
Yes, one star confirmed by twelve consecutive guides, with chef Giovanni Luca Di Pirro and three tasting menus built on the estate's produce.
How far is it from Florence and Siena?
Half an hour by car from Florence and its airport, forty minutes from Siena, an hour and a quarter from Pisa.
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