Villa Cetinale

Ned Lambton and his wife, Marina, have lovingly restored a seventeenth-century Tuscan villa, Villa Cetinale, as a retreat for family and friends. The villa, located outside Siena, Italy, was acquired from the Chigi dynasty in 1978 by Lord Antony Lambton, who cultivated its reputation as one of the most beautiful and glamourous homes in Italy. The restoration work was carried out by Bolko von Schweinichen and interiors by London decorator Camilla Guinness.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 05 September 2023
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications

After inheriting a seventeenth-century Tuscan villa, Ned Lambton and his wife, Marina, lovingly restored the estate as a retreat for family and friends. With newly commissioned photographs by Simon Upton, Lambton brings to life the rich history of the villa, its redecoration, its raucous history, and, above all else, the dream of owning and renovating a Tuscan villa.

Located just outside Siena, Italy, Villa Cetinale stands amid vineyards, silver olive groves, and wooded hills that have remained largely untouched since the late seventeenth century, when Cardinal Flavio Chigi, a nephew of Pope Alexander VII, expanded what was a modest farmhouse into the villa we see today.

Cetinale was acquired from the Chigi dynasty in 1978, by the charismatic Lord Antony Lambton, the author's father, who cultivated the villa's reputation as one of the most beautiful and glamourous homes in Italy, laying out new gardens and hosting fashionable figures from England (Princess Margaret, Prince Charles, Mick Jagger, Rupert Everett, Tony Blair, and Kate Moss).

The villa has undergone major refurbishment all without altering the original character of the house with restoration work carried out by Bolko von Schweinichen, a Florentine architect known for his reverent handling of historic buildings, and interiors by London decorator Camilla Guinness, a lifelong friend of the family.

The result is a stunning blend of old-world elegance and modern luxury, with 12 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a grand ballroom, a spa, a tennis court, and a swimming pool. The villa is also home to a collection of antique furniture, paintings, and sculptures, many of which were acquired by Lord Antony Lambton during his travels around the world.

Today, Villa Cetinale is a private residence, but it is still open to the public for tours and events. It is a testament to the Lambton family's love for Italy and their commitment to preserving the legacy of this beautiful estate.

Dimension: 279 x 241 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780847873340