The ocean breeze from Tuscany’s Romito Coast cloaks the Castel Sonnino in a mysterious veil. The building’s origins date back to the 16th century when the Medici family built a watchtower to overlook and protect the town of Livorno. After centuries as a military garrison, the castle finally became a residence at the end of the 1800s.
Tour this restored Italian castle
At the time, Baron Sidney Sonnino was looking for a summer home that allowed for secluded intimacy with the sea and its surrounding context. The Italian statesman fell in love with the location and decided the watchtower would be his eponymous home – he now rests here forever, his tomb located in a natural cave overlooking the cliffs.
After Sonnino’s passing, the castle remained closed for years – until now. A recent restoration led by Tono architectural and interior design studio has revived the mysterious coastal property.
The project, which was officially completed in 2025, was spearheaded by the Florence- and Livorno-based studio, founded by architect Edoardo Ventisette, who wanted to give the windswept walls a new lease of life. His aim? To reimagine the castle through a contemporary lens.
The exterior remains historic. Perched on a hill, the building's façade offers textural details of stone, lime and travertine. However, beneath its regal, period shell, its interior is far from dated. The Italian design studio carefully tiptoed between old and new, restoring the existing Venetian terrazzo and marble flooring, and repairing the bastion, from where guards would once have watched out for enemies.
The sea is visible from every room. Its lapis lazuli shades offer organic inspiration for the internal colour palette, seamlessly blending the interior and exterior. Windows frame the views, while the space is accessorised with carefully selected antiques and custom-made furniture.
The castle’s restoration has reignited its mysterious and whimsical quality, adding energy to its long-overlooked spaces to bring Castel Sonnino into the 21st century.
