Original architecture and details; a story of stone, light and silence.
Tenuta i Mandorli is built on ancient foundations, along one of the medieval roads that connected San Gimignano, Volterra and Pisa. The place names surrounding the area – Magione, Spedaletto, Palombara – bear witness to the presence of the Order of the Knights Templar, which left visible and symbolic traces in these lands.
Walking through the villa, between the cellars and beneath the walls, you can see the remains of underground passages: tunnels probably used as escape routes or connections between Templar mansions. A silent testimony to a time when this place was also a refuge, a strategic hub, and a crossing point.
The Villa
Exterior
Entrance
The heart of hospitality
The Villa: memory and rebirth
In 1966, Dr Bruno Bardi purchased the estate and brought it back to life, preserving the essence of the original building and transforming it into a nationally renowned stud farm for English thoroughbred horses. The villa, with its wooden ceilings, stone walls and panoramic windows, has been restored with a rare balance between historical respect and modern comfort.
The renovation work begun in 2015 has restored the rooms to their former glory, enhancing every original detail: the terracotta staircase, the wall niches and the ancient beams. Today, the villa welcomes large groups in a warm, authentic and peaceful setting.
The Mansion: elegant simplicity
Once part of the agricultural complex, the Magione has been converted into five independent flats, each with distinctive architectural details:
- an arched window overlooking the inner courtyard,
- a French window framing the countryside,
- a niche in the turret converted into a study.
Each accommodation retains something of its original function, but has been renovated to offer intimacy, brightness and lightness.
The Context
Architecture that interacts with the landscape
There are no visual barriers here: the interior and exterior merge into one another. The terraces overlook the valley, the windows frame the hills, and the stone walls blend into the edges of the forest.
At Tenuta i Mandorli, architecture does not impose, it accompanies. Tell us about it. And it does so silently, leaving space for light and time.
