Listing of the Day
Location: Sardinia, Italy
Price: €12 million euros ($13.14 million)
Today, because of local conservation laws, it would be impossible to build Villa Solenzana so close to the beach and surrounded on three sides by the crystal clear Mediterranean Sea. So this sprawling waterfront home with direct access to private beaches is a rarity, designed in the 1960s but recently renovated, on its own secret peninsula facing the popular port of Stintino.
It’s an area characterized by the "purity of the natural environment," says Giancarlo Bracco, CEO of Immobilsarda, who is marketing the villa. Thanks to its secluded location, it’s perfect "for those who are looking for privacy and tranquillity," he says. "Private access to the sea guarantees a pied dans l’eau, sought-after lifestyle."
The villa is owned by a well-known couple from Sassari, Sardinia’s second largest city, the husband an entrepreneur, the wife in the world of culture and theater and collector of beautiful things visible in the house: ancient curtains in Bosa filet lace, a series of handmade horse bits, pink marble from the 18th Century, a piano in cherry wood and tiles with floral Liberty decorations.
Stats
The main villa has five bedrooms with private bathrooms, as well as a dining room, double living room and semi-professional kitchen plus pantry. A further master suite with private bathroom is on the raised ground floor. The side building has another pantry, laundry room, garage and an apartment for staff and next door, a second apartment with two bedrooms and bathrooms.
The series of buildings is surrounded by a 6,000-square-meter garden full of Mediterranean plants.
More:Medieval Italian Castle with 80-Plus Rooms Going on the Auction Block
Design pedigree
"The house always retains the look of a striking castle guarding the bay, which it overlooks," says Mr. Bracco.
Lined in local Stintino stone, it was, according to the vision of the architect Alberto Riva, built facing the interior with slit windows to protect it from the strong light and sun. The current owners had it renovated by architect Jean Claude Lesuisse, who was instructed to connect the inside with the outside while maintaining its simple, austere aesthetic, with white walls accented by Venetian tiles and elm wood finishes.
Amenities
There’s a huge sea-water swimming pool with a waterfall, jet stream system and hydro massage area as well as a Finnish sauna. The villa has its own private quay with a boat deck and ladder into the sea. Outside is a summer kitchen with a wood-fired oven for pizzas and a barbecue.
Neighborhood notes
Stintino, on the north-west coast of Sardinia, was founded in 1885 by a group of fisherman and remains sleepy, the streets dotted with low houses and winding cobbled paths, with small waterside taverns serving up local dishes, where you can dance into the evening.
"The Sardinian coastline in this area is characterized by small bays that emerge from the rocks, white beaches that overlook an incredible clear, transparent water. The beaches of Stintino are particularly wonderful," says Mr. Bracco.
Listing agent: John Bracco, Immobilsarda
Write to Listing of the Day