Large real estate property, known as the former Banti Sanatorium, built in 1939, located in the municipality of Vaglia, included in the territory of the Metropolitan City of Florence. The property is located in Pratolino, a hilly area at about 500 meters above sea level. The property covers a total gross area of approximately 13,000 sqm, with an appurtenant territorial area of more than 40,000 sqm.
Via di Fontesecca, 232 - 50036 Vaglia (FI) The construction of the complex was decided in 1934 by the Provincial Administration of Florence, with the aim of creating a recovery hospital for workers of both sexes; the place was chosen for its clean air, the richness of its woods and the distance from the city.
Construction ended with the creation of a sanatorium in place of the hospital in the fall of 1939. The structures are among the first Italian buildings to have been built in reinforced concrete and are characterized by soberly geometric shapes typical of rationalist architecture.
The buildings are concentrated in the south-west area of the property, towards via dell’Uccellatoio, and the remaining vast area was designed as a park, equipped with tree-lined terraces, paths and parterres to allow patients to stay outdoors and enjoy the benefits of the surrounding nature. The high number of balconies and windows overlooking the valleys and the stained glass windows were designed to provide light for heliotherapy, with the aim of exploiting the beneficial effects of the natural environment for therapeutic purposes.
The main building – the former hospital – is arranged over four floors above ground, as well as a partial fifth floor and portion of the basement, for a total gross area of approximately 13,000 sqm. The property has a structured layout, resulting from the union of two longitudinal buildings connected in the centre by a transverse wing. The basement hosts some closets, while on the ground floor the porch opens onto the atrium from which the offices, the administration and the reception open symmetrically. From here, it is possible to access the north and south wings of the building, along a large central and longitudinal corridor which leads to the bedrooms and dormitories. On the ground floor of the north wing, connected to the hall via the stairs of the square room, the service rooms and the laundry, the kitchens, the refectory, closets and changing rooms for the staff can be found. On the first floor, the convex space of the entrance connects the north wing (where there are wards with five dormitories and services) and the south wing with the visiting rooms, the chapel and other ward rooms. The second and third floors had the same layout, with the addition of a large room used as a cinema with a projection room. On the fourth floor there were large rooms with windows for heliotherapy. The roof of the building is partly terrace and partly roof.
The real estate property is located in the municipality of Vaglia (population 5,208), included in the Metropolitan City of Florence (population 987,260), in the locality of Pratolino, an extra-urban area south of the town, which is about 8 km away (10 minutes by car) . The property is located in a hilly area, between 460 and 500 meters above sea level, immersed in the woods, and is bordered on the west side by Via dell’Uccellatoio, which connects via Bolognese with the road of the high hills, halfway up Mount Morello, which leads to Sesto Fiorentino. On the north side, the property is bordered by the wide meadows of Poggio Corega and to the east by a forest owned by the municipality near the park of Villa Demidoff. The historic centre of Florence and the Santa Maria della Novella railway station are about 15 km away from the property (30 minutes by car), while the Amerigo Vespucci international airport is 11 km from the property (25 minutes by car).
Large real estate property, known as the former Banti Sanatorium, built in 1939, located in the municipality of Vaglia, included in the territory of the Metropolitan City of Florence. The property is located in Pratolino, a hilly area at about 500 meters above sea level. The property covers a total gross area of approximately 13,000 sqm, with an appurtenant territorial area of more than 40,000 sqm.
This property is part of the project:
Via di Fontesecca, 232 - 50036 Vaglia (FI) 
