Castello Del Nero Chianti

Hidden among the rolling hills of Tuscany lies COMO Castello Del Nero, Tuscany — in easy driving distance of the Renaissance cities of Florence and Siena. At the heart of this historic 740-acre estate is a twelfth-century castle layered with Renaissance frescoes and contemporary design, with interiors by Paola Navone.

The resort offers Michelin-starred dining experiences with estate-to-table Tuscan produce, as well as meaningful wellness therapies at COMO Shambhala Retreat.

COMO Castello Del Nero is situated among Tuscany’s rolling hills, in the world-famous Chianti wine region. The resort is a 30-minute drive from Aeroporto di Firenze-Peretola, Florence’s International airport.

ROOMS & SUITES
There are 50 rooms and suites at COMO Castello Del Nero, each designed by Paola Navone to reflect an airy, pared-back aesthetic. Interiors are spacious and cool-toned, with 19 Estate Rooms, 13 Tavarnelle Rooms, 10 Tavarnelle Suites, three Loft Suites and three Heritage Suites, many of which overlook the surrounding hills and lakes.

The COMO Suite and COMO Terrace Suite offer the ultimate in Tuscan accommodation, with extensive living space, rare 18th-century frescoes, and panoramic views.

COMO TERRACE SUITE
This expansive 90sq m/ 968sq ft suite represents the pinnacle of contemporary accommodation combined with a deep sense of history. White terracotta tiles still bear traces of historic footfall, whilst pitched ceilings with exposed wooden beams rise high over the airy master bedroom and spacious separate living room.

Muted, cool-toned furnishings provide a cocooning counterpoint to the abundance of natural light, whilst the suite’s size makes this feel more like a private apartment than hotel room. An enormous terrace overlooks the surrounding countryside, offering panoramic views of the rolling hilltops and the estate’s Tuscan lakes.

HERITAGE SUITES
These outstanding 70 – 77sq m/ 753 – 829sq ft suites are filled with a sense of the castle’s centuries-old history alongside contemporary comfort. Carefully preserved 18th-century frescoes line the walls and vaulted ceilings, rising high above the king- or queen-size bed, which is draped in finest Egyptian cotton.

An original fireplace forms the centrepiece of the generous living room, where red terracotta flooring is offset by furniture in cool-tones. A large bathroom is replete with a freestanding bathtub, double vanity, and separate shower.

LOFT SUITES
These spacious 55 – 81sq m/ 592 – 871sq ft split-level suites feature an airy living area on the lower floor and a master bedroom on the upper level. Extensive views overlook the formal gardens or the estate’s Tuscan lakes.

The cool-toned master bedroom is replete with queen-size bed and finest Egyptian cotton linens, providing a contemporary, peaceful retreat. In the generous bathroom, a freestanding bathtub is complemented by a separate shower and COMO Shambhala’s award-winning amenities.

TAVARNELLE SUITES
These ample 40 – 70sq m/ 430 – 646sq ft suites overlook the sun-drenched courtyard, Italian formal gardens, or rolling Tuscan hills. A separate living area with soft furnishings gives an elegant, pared-back space in which to unwind.

The master bedroom is a cool-toned haven, with Egyptian cotton linens and an abundance of authentic Tuscan details. An airy bathroom is fitted with a shower and every modern convenience, including cotton bathrobes and COMO Shambhala’s award-winning amenities.

ESTATE ROOMS
These airy 25 – 38sq m/ 269 –409sq ft rooms are full of Tuscan charm, with original terracotta floors and high ceilings. Queen-size or twin beds are draped in Egyptian cotton, while the furnishings create a gentle counterpoint to the sunlight spilling through the windows. Views overlook the peaceful courtyard, dating back to the twelfth century, or formal Italian gardens.

DINING
There are three dining venues at COMO Castello Del Nero: Michelin-starred La Torre, casually informal La Taverna and refreshingly al fresco Pavilion. Each dining venue uses carefully sourced produce from around the Tuscan region to produce nourishing and flavoursome cuisine.

LA TORRE
La Torre is a Michelin-starred restaurant overseen by Executive Chef, Giovanni Luca Di Pirro. Dishes are made with the finest Tuscan ingredients, sourced from local farmers, or directly from the estate’s organic garden.

The cuisine showcases inventive Italian and seasonal inspiration, with an ever-changing menu ranging through spring’s crisp greens and fragrant herbs, to autumn’s rich truffles and wild boar. In summer, diners can choose to eat al fresco on the terrace, overlooking the verdant landscape and spectacular sunsets of Chianti.

WINE CELLAR
Wine tasting in Chianti is something of a rite of passage when visiting Tuscany. The region’s vineyards have existed for around 2,500 years, and remain strong contenders for some of Italy’s best wines.

Guests at COMO Castello Del Nero can enjoy a wine tasting for up to eight guests, sampling an internationally recognised wine list in our two atmospheric stone cellars, part of the original 12th-century castle.

Our sommelier will guide you through the history of wine production, with tastings drawing out the authentic flavours of Tuscany. Olive oil tastings are also hosted in the cellars, where guests can sample a range of Italy’s finest extra virgin olive oil, including COMO Castello Del Nero’s own estate-made oil.

LA TAVERNA
La Taverna is situated in the castle’s original kitchen, dating back 900 years, when a small army of servants would have laboured to serve magnificent feasts to the noble Del Nero family. Now, the atmosphere is comfortable and family-friendly, with a large, open fire giving the room a cosy glow in the winter months.

The restaurant offers a selection of Tuscan signature dishes made with fresh, local ingredients and an emphasis on simple dishes with excellent flavour. Our expert mixologists can prepare a range of enticing cocktails, whilst Champagne, reserve cognacs, grappas and whiskies are also available from the drinks menu.

PAVILION
Pavilion is open throughout the summer and offers all-day dining overlooking the spectacular hills, vineyards and olive groves that characterise Tuscany. Menus feature Mediterranean cuisine as well as international favourites and COMO’s signature dishes.

WELLNESS BY COMO SHAMBHALA
COMO Shambhala Retreat at COMO Castello Del Nero, Tuscany, is an elegant, cocooning sanctuary offering Asian-inspired holistic mind and body treatments.

We offer bespoke massages, revitalising soaks in our thermal suites, a summer swim in our 25-metre heated outdoor pool and invigorating sessions of Pilates and yoga that can also take place on our lawn or terrace. All treatments and classes are also supplemented by our COMO Shambhala Cuisine: nutritious and balanced food that tastes as good as it feels afterwards.

COMO Shambhala Retreat is a complete wellness experience of individualised treatments, technical expertise and our trademark attention to detail – all overlooking the Tuscan umbers and greens of the surrounding hillsides.

WELLNESS RITUALS
Our new Wellness Rituals combine insights from experts, nutritious meals, relaxing treatments and access to our state-of-the-art facilities. Each Ritual takes place across a day or half day in the nurturing surrounds of COMO Shambhala Retreat. Simply choose one that suits you best.

MIND AND BODY
COMO Shambhala offers a variety of classes and activities daily, including yoga, Pilates and fitness sessions. In-house guests are welcome to join any of these classes.

Our internationally accredited teachers are also available upon request for personal training and private sessions. Please refer to the COMO Shambhala Schedule of Activities or approach our wellness reception team to make your reservation.

YOGA
Yoga has been practiced for over 5,000 years and provides a total workout for both body and mind, incorporating strengthening exercises with breathing and meditation techniques. The benefits are myriad, from increased flexibility and muscle tone, to lowered stress levels and blood pressure.

Personal instruction can be provided at any time for beginners to experts, helping to develop a practice that can be incorporated into a daily lifestyle, or to enhance a client’s existing yoga commitment.

Our yoga expert works closely with each client to design a program for their specific needs. Complimentary and private sessions are available throughout the week. Please refer to the COMO Shambhala Retreat Activities Schedule for times.

COMO SHAMBHALA MASSAGE
Our signature COMO Shambhala Massage uses our blended massage oils to completely calm the mind and gently rejuvenate the body. This is an ideal massage for those making a commitment to improve their general wellbeing as it helps to rebalance both body and mind.

COMO SHAMBHALA SKIN DETOXIFYING TREATMENT
Our COMO Shambhala Skin Detoxifying Treatment helps to detox and revive tired skin and is designed to improve circulation and skin tone.

Using our signature products to exfoliate and moisturise, this therapy stimulates lymph flow to restore a healthy glow. A deep polish using our salt and sugar scrub is followed by a refreshing shower and then completed with the application of our signature moisturising lotion.

The invigorating treatment can be enhanced with the addition of an hour-long COMO Shambhala Massage to further stimulate the body’s natural detoxifying functions.

WEDDINGS & CELEBRATIONS
COMO Castello Del Nero is a dream destination for your wedding – a castle surrounded by rolling vineyards in Tuscany’s famous Chianti wine region. Have an intimate ceremony in the restored family chapel, a sprawling garden party among the roses, or an entire estate takeover of up to 120 people.

However you chose to celebrate, we are here to help you plan – from crafting bespoke menus to sourcing local musicians and finding the perfect blooms for your bouquet.

Great food is the heart of any memorable wedding feast. Michelin-starred Chef Giovanni Luca di Pirro leads our castle kitchens, sourcing the finest local and seasonal ingredients from specialist suppliers and his personally tended Chef’s Garden within the estate.

Chef Giovanni specialises in mixing traditional Italian culinary roots with new gastronomic techniques for personalised menus that are elegant and bursting with Tuscan flavour.

From the moment you decide to hold your wedding here, we’ll guide and support you through every step of the planning process, providing detailed timelines while staying in constant contact in the build-up to the day.

EVENTS & MEETINGS
COMO Castello Del Nero offers a range of outdoor and indoor event venues, including frescoed suites and formal gardens. Our estate provides Michelin-starred cuisine and elegant décor for events of every type.

Enjoy casual receptions in our historic wine cellar, Italian feasts in our three estate restaurants and holistic Asian-inspired therapies conducted by experts at COMO Shambhala Retreat.

EXPERIENCES
COMO Castello Del Nero is set deep in the rolling hills of Chianti, equidistant from the jewel cities of Florence and Siena where you can discover some of the world’s best galleries, architecture and shopping. Tuscany is also world-renowned for its vineyards and enchanting hillside towns which can be easily explored from our accessible location.

In addition to cultural tours and excursions around Tuscany, you will be able to immerse yourself in Tuscan culture with a range of experiences that take place at the hotel — from cooking classes and truffle hunting to stargazing and wine tastings.

As a guest of COMO Castello Del Nero, you will benefit from a concierge team who can arrange activities and provide you with expert knowledge.

A WALK AROUND OUR LUXURY ESTATE
Spend the day exploring the estate’s forests, lakes, olive groves and vineyards to build up an appetite for a picnic which can be delivered to you. We have four routes indicated on our map. However, the entire 740-acre estate is free to roam. The surrounding countryside is typical of Tuscany’s rolling beauty, and home to rich wildlife, including hares, deers and even boars.

HANDCRAFTS IN TUSCANY
During your stay at COMO Castello Del Nero, take the chance to visit the nearby hamlets and the historic workshops of local artisans who continue the Tuscan tradition of working with alabaster, leather, Florentine paper, crystal and the famous Montelupo terracotta.

We can arrange for you to visit a rustic hay barn in the Chianti countryside, where you will have the chance to work with a ceramicist to create, and then decorate, your own small objects with traditional Italian paints before firing them in a kiln. Courses for children and families are also available.

Alternatively, you can design your own pair of shoes alongside an expert shoe-maker who will use traditional Tuscan techniques to realise your vision. You can personalise your shoes however you like, deciding on your own materials, style and colour. Bespoke perfumes and bags can also be designed during this experience.

DONDOLI GELATO CLASS
Catherine de’ Medici was one of the first ambassadresses of gelato, bringing it to the French court in the mid-16th century. Since then, the art of making traditional gelato has been passed onto each generation of Italians, with only ten remaining ‘Master Gelato Makers’ left in the world. Sergio Dondoli of Gelateria Dondoli is one of them.

Located in the centre of Piazza della Cisterna in San Gimignano, Gelateria Dondoli is a world-famous gelato shop, for Sergio’s original flavour creations: Crema di Santa Fina® (cream with saffron and pine nuts), Champelmo® (pink grapefruit and sparkling wine), Dolceamaro® (cream with aromatic herbs) and Vernaccia Sorbet.

You can learn this treasured Italian skill from Sergio Dondoli himself. In each gelato-making class, you will prepare a fiordilatte (milk) and a seasonal fruit gelato. The best part? You get to eat them both at the end.

SEASONAL EVENTS IN TUSCANY
The changing seasons bring special events to the towns and countryside around COMO Castello Del Nero. The Palio di Siena, takes place twice a year on July 2nd and August 16th.

This is one of the most thrilling horse races in the world, where ten horses race around the Piazza del Campo ridden by bareback jockeys. With advance notice, our Concierge is able to secure coveted balcony seats.

Mid- to late September marks the beginning of the ‘vendemmia’ — Tuscany’s harvest period, where the local wineries begin to pick and ferment their grapes. Local villages celebrate with wine festivals, the most famous of which take place in nearby Greve and Panzano.

Autumn is truffle hunting season. Man and dog work as an inseparable team in search of the valuable funghi. Whatever truffles you find will be eaten during a special lunch with selected beverages. The years ends with traditional Christmas markets in Florence and Siena where you can purchase the best of Tuscan produce.

L’EROICA BIKE RACE
The L’Eroica bike race first began in Gaiole in Chianti in 1997 – a village not far from our Tuscan estate, COMO Castello Del Nero. Taking place on the first Sunday in October, cyclists on vintage bikes in vintage gear pedal along the gravel roads for distances of up 209km – celebrating a more traditional, sustainable way of cycling.

The race is now a global movement, with multiple events taking place around the world. Still, the best place to experience it is in the town it was born. This year, the race is taking place on October 3rd 2021.

Watching the race can often be just as exciting as taking part. On the day of the event, there’s typically a festival in Gaiole, full of good wine, good food and lots of music. This year will likely be a little different, but it’s still a fun way to take part in the festivities without committing to the ride itself.

COOKING CLASS
Cooking classes at COMO Castello Del Nero are hosted by our Executive Chef, Giovanni Luca Di Pirro. Chef Di Pirro will share his knowledge and passion for Italian cuisine by focusing on three dishes chosen for their rich Italian heritage.

You will be introduced to a range of culinary techniques, including the art of making pasta from scratch and how to make a perfectly layered tiramisu.

Chef Di Pirro’s classes suit participants of all ages and abilities. Small class sizes of between two and six participants ensure everyone can benefit from his personalised instruction. After the class, you can enjoy all the dishes you have made.

TUSCAN EXCURSIONS
COMO Castello Del Nero’s location in the heart of Chianti is the perfect location from which to explore the highlights of Tuscany. Tour the winding roads and enchanting hillside towns, such as San Gimignano, by renting one of our classic vespas or a Fiat 500.

Alternatively, you can enjoy a chauffeur-driven ride in a vintage car or limousine. Our cycling tours are another option for those who wish to explore local hillside towns. These can be tailored according to your fitness level.

To see Tuscany from a different perspective, embark on one of our helicopter or hot air balloon tours which will take you over the castles, and wine regions of Chianti. With the helicopter tour, there is always the option of landing for a wine tasting or heading out as far as the coast.

Our concierge will be happy to recommend and arrange visits to some of Chianti’s most celebrated appellations, such as Chianti Classico or Brunello di Montalcino.

To explore the cities of Siena or Florence, we run a complimentary shuttle service at set times each day. We hope to facilitate your exploration of these extraordinary cities where architectural wonders and artworks by great Italian masters — including Botticelli, Michelangelo and Da Vinci — can be found in some of the world’s most revered galleries.

ART & ARCHITECTURE TOURS
COMO Castello Del Nero works with highly respected guides who will bring the history of Tuscany’s cities to life with their insight and wealth of knowledge. Whether you wish to find out more about the origins of Siena’s Palio or the Medici’s influence in Florence, our guides will be able to explain in great detail.

Guides are multilingual, offering tours in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian and other. Join them on tours in Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and Lucca.

HONEY & CHEESE TASTING
Our honey and cheese tasting sessions in the castle’s original cellars are a chance to try a selection of five soft, semi-seasoned and aged cheeses paired with wine and various honeys, including honey produced on the COMO Castello Del Nero estate.

There will be an assortment of breads, fresh and dried fruits, along with the estate’s home-grown extra virgin olive oil to accompany the cheese and honey selection.

Carefully selected wines — ranging from a dry white for low aromatic cheeses, through to bold vintage reds for cheeses of medium-aromatic intensity — will also be chosen to perfectly complement each cheese selection. Then, round off your tasting with a passito or liqueur wine to bring out the rich flavours of the aged cheeses.

TRUFFLE HUNTING
Spend an hour with our professional truffle hunter and his loyal Lagotto Romagnolo dogs – your guides to hunting for truffles around our estate. The woods at COMO Castello Del Nero are home to three types of black truffles: winter, hooked and summer.

The black winter truffle has an intense aroma with notes of hazelnut and turnip. The black hooked truffle has a more delicately balanced scent profile that is reminiscent of porcini and parmesan. The black summer truffle is somewhere in between the two, with a strong, slightly fungal smell.

After a morning of truffle hunting, return to the hotel for a special four-course lunch, or dinner, prepared by our Executive Chef Giovanni Luca Di Pirro, who favours these prized mushrooms in both pasta and meat courses.

Enjoy lunch or dinner at either La Taverna in the heart of the castle, or Pavilion, weather permitting — our al fresco restaurant overlooking the Chianti hills. Wherever you choose, our sommelier will provide a selection of specially chosen wines as part of your meal.

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL TASTING
Tuscany is generally regarded as one of the best oil-producing regions in Italy. In Chianti, the oils tend to be greener and spicier than elsewhere in the country, and showcase unusual hints of artichoke and pepper.

During this hour-long tasting session, our expert will guide you through the cultivation patterns that produce the differing tastes of oils throughout Chianti.

He will also touch upon the methods of COMO Castello Del Nero’s own olive oil production system. You will have the chance to sample a range of fine Italian olive oils, served alongside Tuscan antipasti.

THE HISTORY OF BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
During these hour-long tasting sessions, our sommelier will share his knowledge of Brunello wines. Each wine will be accompanied by a range of delicious Tuscan cold cuts and pecorino sheep cheese.

Chianti is one of Italy’s most important wine regions, characterised by sprawling vineyards and a history of wine production dating back 2,500 years. Among Italy’s best-regarded wines is Brunello di Montalcino — a product of the Tuscan province of Sienna.

In 1980, Brunello di Montalcino was among the four wines awarded the first Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG). This red DOCG wine is produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montalcino, located 90km from COMO Castello Del Nero.

THE CHIANTI CLASSICO STORY
During these hour-long tasting sessions, our sommelier will share his knowledge of Chianti Classico wines. Each wine will be accompanied by a range of delicious Tuscan cold cuts and pecorino sheep cheese.

The much celebrated wine-region of Chianti was first outlined in 1716. Since then the area has been redrawn and divided into seven sub-areas: Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colline Pisane, Colli Senesi, Montalbano and Rùfina. Wines labelled “Chianti Classico” come from the largest of these sub-areas in the original Chianti heartland.

Rooms: 50

Price: from 599 EUR per night

Source: www.comohotels.com