Borgo Pignano Volterra

• Full UniFi network transformation of a 300-hectare eco-luxury resort in Tuscany, spanning a historic borgo, distributed villas, and a flagship 950 sqm residence
• Hybrid infrastructure combining legacy and next-generation Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5, 6, and 7), with 193 UniFi devices already deployed and ongoing expansion
• Wireless backbone connectivity using UniFi Wave technology, enabling seamless coverage without invasive cabling across protected heritage buildings

Introduction

The project was carried out at Borgo Pignano, a multi-award-winning eco-friendly luxury resort located near Volterra, in the heart of Tuscany, recently awarded the “Most Charming Hotel” at the DUCO Travel Summit.

The estate spans approximately 300 hectares (750 acres) of organic farmland and countryside and is built around an ancient borgo with Etruscan origins and medieval foundations.

The property features a historic villa built over 12th-century fortifications, a restored medieval village with maisonettes and guest accommodations, and multiple independent villas distributed across the estate, including a flagship 950 sqm residence.

More than a traditional resort, Borgo Pignano offers an immersive experience rooted in sustainability, art, and nature, with organic farming, estate-produced food and wine, and a Michelin Green Star dining experience reflecting its eco-conscious philosophy.

Guests can enjoy a wide range of experiences across the estate, from wine tasting and cooking classes to outdoor activities, all contributing to a highly connected and service-driven environment.

From a technological perspective, the distributed nature of the estate, combined with strict architectural preservation constraints, makes the deployment of a modern, high-performance network infrastructure particularly challenging.

Business or Organizational Requirements

The resort required a complete redesign of its network infrastructure to support a highly distributed and service-intensive environment. The property is composed of a historic borgo, independent villas, and operational buildings spread across approximately 300 hectares, making traditional network design approaches difficult to implement.

The existing infrastructure included previously deployed network equipment, but legacy devices and outdated technologies limited overall performance and did not meet current connectivity standards, especially across outdoor areas and remote accommodations.

Key requirements included:

• Delivering reliable and seamless Wi-Fi coverage across a large, fragmented estate with both indoor and outdoor environments
• Ensuring stable and high-performance connectivity between buildings without the need for invasive cabling, due to strict architectural preservation constraints
• Implementing full network segmentation to separate guest, staff, service, IoT, and management traffic
• Enabling centralized monitoring, configuration, and remote troubleshooting to reduce on-site interventions
• Supporting a premium guest experience where connectivity is expected to be always available and perform consistently across the entire property
• Providing a scalable infrastructure capable of supporting future expansions, including new villas and additional services

Why UniFi?

UniFi was selected as the core networking platform due to its ability to address both the technical and operational challenges of such a distributed and complex environment.

• The license-free model allows the deployment of a large number of devices across the estate without introducing recurring costs, making it ideal for a scalable infrastructure spanning hundreds of hectares.
• The fully integrated ecosystem, covering switching, wireless, routing, and wireless bridging, ensures seamless interoperability between all components of the network.
• UniFi’s wireless backbone capabilities, particularly through UniFi Wave technology, enable reliable high-speed connectivity between distant buildings without the need for invasive cabling, a critical requirement in a protected heritage environment.
• Centralized management through UniFi Site Manager provides full visibility and control over the entire infrastructure, allowing proactive monitoring, rapid troubleshooting, and significantly reducing the need for on-site interventions.
• Finally, the platform’s scalability supports the continuous evolution of the resort, including the integration of new villas, expansion of coverage areas, and future deployment of additional services such as video surveillance.
• The flexibility of the UniFi platform also allowed a gradual migration from legacy infrastructure, ensuring service continuity during the upgrade process.

Deployment Highlights

A comprehensive UniFi infrastructure was deployed across the entire estate, integrating both legacy devices and newly installed equipment to create a unified, high-performance network.

Core Network & Switching

The network backbone is built on a robust switching infrastructure, including aggregation layers and distributed access switches deployed across multiple buildings:

• Aggregation layer: 2 × USW-Aggregation switches

Core and access switching:

• 2 × USW-Pro-Max-48 PoE
• 1 × USW-Pro-XG-8-PoE
• Multiple USW-Pro-Max-24-PoE and 16 PoE switches
• Distributed PoE switches including USW Flex and Lite series

This architecture ensures high capacity, scalability, and efficient power delivery to edge devices across the estate.

Wi-Fi Infrastructure

The wireless network combines legacy and next-generation access points to deliver seamless coverage across indoor and outdoor environments:

Legacy devices:

• 65 × UAP-AC-IW

Next-generation Wi-Fi deployment:

• 23 × U6-IW
• 6 × U7-Long-Range, 1 × U7-Pro, 13 × U7-Pro-Wall, and 9 × U7-Lite devices deployed across key indoor areas
• Outdoor coverage delivered through 9 × U7-Outdoor, 7 × U6-Mesh, and 1 × AC-Mesh-Pro access points

Additional deployments include:

• Staff House: 8 × U7-Lite with dedicated switching infrastructure
• New flagship villa: 12 × U7-Pro-Wall and 5 × U7-Outdoor access points

This hybrid approach ensures service continuity while enabling a progressive transition to Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 technologies.

Wireless Backbone & Distributed Connectivity

Due to the geographical distribution of the estate and architectural constraints, wireless bridging plays a key role in network design.

• UniFi Wave Long-Range links are used to interconnect remote buildings
• High-speed wireless backhaul replaces the need for invasive cabling
• Stable connectivity is maintained across long distances and challenging terrain

This approach enables efficient connectivity across the entire 300-hectare property.

Network Segmentation & Security

To support different operational needs, the network is fully segmented using VLANs:

• Guest Wi-Fi
• Staff network
• Service and operations
• IoT devices
• Management network

Advanced firewall policies, traffic shaping, and client isolation ensure both security and performance.

Centralized Management

The entire infrastructure is managed through UniFi OS Server and Site Manager, providing:

• Full remote access and control
• Real-time monitoring and alerting
• Proactive troubleshooting capabilities

This significantly reduces the need for on-site interventions and allows efficient management of a highly distributed environment.

The infrastructure is also designed to support future expansion, including the integration of UniFi Protect for video surveillance across key areas of the estate.

Looking Ahead

The network infrastructure at Borgo Pignano has been designed with scalability and future expansion in mind, supporting the continuous evolution of the resort.

A key upcoming milestone is the completion of the Cusignano flagship villa, a 950 sqm residence that will represent one of the most exclusive accommodations within the estate. This new deployment will further extend the UniFi infrastructure using next-generation Wi-Fi technologies.

Additional expansion plans include extending coverage to new outdoor areas and enhancing connectivity across remote sections of the property.

The infrastructure is also being prepared for the integration of UniFi Protect, enabling a distributed video surveillance system to improve security and operational visibility across the estate.

Borgo Pignano will continue to standardize its network infrastructure on the UniFi platform, ensuring consistency, scalability, and simplified management across all current and future deployments.