The wine cellars, situated under the main villa, contain traditional oak barrels and barriques for ageing and provide an ideal environment in which the wines are fined in the bottle. Castelvecchio was one of the most ancient and important holdings of the Cavalcanti family. The name of the property can already be seen in a parchment from 1180, making note of a real estate transaction, and in which reference is made to a CastelVecchio (or Old Castle) in Val di Pesa. The building traces the variable fortunes of the Cavalcanti family until the time when, after the conclusion of the battle of Monteaperti, it was razed to the ground. In the 15th century, almost directly on top of the ruins, the present villa, owned by the Borromei family, was built. The Borromei were also the owners of the adjacent chapel of San Lorenzo that then became the property of the Conti Capponi family. Later abandoned, the house fell into disrepair where it languished as a simple farmhouse forgotten in the midst of a thick wood. In 1960, the villa was properly restored to its former elegance replete with the dignified air becoming a Manor Estate. Thoughit was in a spirit of lightheartedness that the wine cellars were built and the vineyards planted, today we are proud to say it is nearly half a century that our Azienda has been producing the famous Chianti dei Colli Fiorentini (Chianti of the Florentine Hills). Immediately outside the estate one can still see the ruins of the original Castello dei Cavalcanti, while the Chapel of San Lorenzo remains very well preserved. Records of this church date back to the end of the 12th century, where, in pure Romanesque style, the tombstones of the Cavalcanti, the Borromei, and the Capponi families were placed in the floors. It is said that originally the chapel belonged to a small community which was united over the following centuries with the parish of San Pancrazio, to be found 2 km from Castelvecchio.