9 Abandoned Castles That Are Haunting Shells Of Their Former Glory

Sammezzano Castle In Italy

Wikimedia CommonsCastello di Sammezzano or Sammezzano Castle was built by Spanish nobility in 1605.

Castello di Sammezzano, or Sammezzano Castle, has stood in the Italian city of Leccio for a little more than four centuries. The castle is surrounded by a serene oak grove that directs the eye straight to the castle’s majestic structure.

Originally, this spot was the location for a royal palazzo built by a Spanish nobleman named Ximenes of Aragon in 1605. But when the estate came under the ownership of Italian Marquis Ferdinando Ximenes Panciatichi, the palazzo was deemed too modest.

The marquis was determined to build a haven to escape the political turmoil in Italy at the time and so he had the Sammezzano Castle erected in its place in 1853.

The abandoned castle took nearly half a century to construct and since its completion, is nothing short of astounding. It houses 365 rooms, one for each day of the year and each with its own individual design, but the palace is unified under the vibrant Moorish Revival style.

Some of the most distinct rooms inside the castle are the Peacock Room, which is decked out in a colorful geometric pattern; the White Room, which features Moroccan tiled floors and wrought iron chandeliers; and a breathtaking Hall of Mirrors.

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The Sammezzano Castle was closed in the 1990s after it was briefly converted into a luxury hotel following the end of World War II.savesammezzano/Instagram

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One of the most famous rooms inside the castle is the White Room, which features Moroccan mosaic tiled floors and wrought iron chandeliers.savesammezzano/Instagram

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It took 40 years to complete this abandoned palace.map_of_italy/Instagram

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The centuries-old castle is currently up for sale — for $19 million.elena_cavallin/Instagram

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The castle was first constructed as a much smaller royal palazzo by its original owner Ximenes of Aragon in 1605.savesammezzano/Instagram

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The Italian Marquis Ferdinando Ximenes Panciatichi rebuilt Sammezzano as a peaceful refuge from the political upheaval in 19th-century Italy._antoniosurace_/Instagram

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Sammezzano features 365 rooms — one room for each day of the year — with different names and designs. darryl_barton/Instagram

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Sammezzano Castle website

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A group of locals advocating for the castle's preservation banded together to form a committee called FPXA 1813-2013, an acronym from its past owner Ferdinando Ximenes Panciatichi.Sammezzano Castle website

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It's clear that the eccentric marquis sought to create a space unlike anything that had come before it — and he succeeded. The palace is flush with bright colors, soaring columns, adorned windows, panels, and pathways.

Above one archway appear the words: "Non Plus Ultra," which means "the highest point or culmination," and is a warning from Greek mythology that signaled the edge of a world once believed to be flat by explorers.

After the Second World War, Sammezzano Castle was converted into a luxury hotel until it was closed for good in the 1990s. But its marvelous architecture and rich history garnered the attention of locals who wanted to save the palace from being destroyed.

In 2012, a group of advocates formed the committee known as FPXA 1813-2013 to promote the preservation of the forgotten palace.

Even though the palace remains closed off to the public to this day, it has since gone up for private sale — and for $19 million, it could be yours.