Still, says luxury-goods scion Nicola Bulgari, who recently attended a dinner at Fighine, the place feels hugely sumptuous. “There’s an amazing attention to every single little detail,” he says. “It’s beautiful.”
The New York philanthropist Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, a friend of the couple’s, pounces at the chance to visit Fighine whenever she can. “The Ulfanes’ vision is a labor of love that lasted 10 years,” she says.
As the Ulfanes’ private residence, the castle is not open to villa guests, but they can nonetheless enjoy its majestic presence as they stroll through the gardens and olive groves. The town of San Casciano dei Bagni is a 10-minute drive away and boasts mineral-rich hot springs, but it would take more than a therapeutic soak to draw most guests away from the magic of Fighine. Says Diamonstein-Spielvogel, “It’s like fantasyland, only it’s the real thing.”
