Where Fairy Tales Come True

Buyers on the hunt for history and drama need look no further than Holly Kirkwood’s selection of the finest castles on the market across the world

In the Sherlock Holmes novel The Valley of Fear, John Douglas finds himself fleeing some of the most dangerous men in America.

On arrival in England, his first move is to invest in a fortified property, complete with a moat and a drawbridge, from which to defend himself.

Back in the real world, the factors of privacy and security are still an important part of a castle’s appeal, but buyers also yearn for the romance of owning a home that has survived—or, indeed, played a role in—hundreds or even thousands of years of history. Happily, these properties aren’t only ideal for keeping people at bay, they also lend themselves to entertaining on a grand scale. And there’s always the comfort that, should one attract the attention of an evil secret society, the perfect hideout has already been arranged.

Tuscany, Italy, €5.5 million (£4.8 million)

Built in the late 1100s on the remains of a Roman castrum and substantially extended and converted in the 1500s, Castello di Pergolato is a perfect fusion of medieval and Renaissance Italian architecture. Set in the rolling countryside of San Casciano Val di Pesa, not far from Florence, and presented in wonderful condition, it offers 12 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, as well as three atmospheric, wooden-roofed reception rooms and a magnificent network of cellars. Knight Frank (020– 7861 1057; www.knightfrank.com)

Torres Novas, Portugal, price on application