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A Tuscan Villa Once Owned by Michelangelo

The rustic six-acre property has a guesthouse as well as olive and lemon trees

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Listing of the Day

Location: Chianti, Italy

Price: €7.5 million (US$8.8 million)

This rustic 11th-century stone farmhouse in the heart of Tuscany was once owned by the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo.

Just three years after completing the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni bought the home in 1549 at age 72, said listing agent Debbie Fisher. "This was a country home for him—he didn’t live there full time."

The house stayed in the Buonarroti family for more than 300 years, and it has been preserved and restored by its current owner. The original deed held by Michelangelo, wherein he was described as a "dear sculptor and Florentine citizen," will be passed on to the new owner, Ms. Fisher said.

More:Take a Video Tour of a 16th Century Florence-Area Villa That May Have Been Designed by Michelangelo

The original architecture, including a tower that dates to 1047, is accented throughout with large stone fireplaces and original wood-beamed and barrel ceilings, one of which has the original brick.

"It’s wonderful in that it’s extremely remote, even though it’s just 40 minutes from Florence," Ms. Fisher said. "The house sits up on a hill and the viewpoint is just magnificent."

"The family that owns it has spent 20 years restoring the entire property except the very top of the tower," she said. "They have recreated what probably would have been there. It’s very suitable."

"It’s really rustic on the first floor," she added. The kitchen has old world romance as well as high-end appliances.

The main part of the villa has two two-bedroom, two-bath apartments with separate entrances.

There is also a guesthouse with a second-floor, two-bedroom apartment. The intact remains of an old olive oil mill are on the ground floor.

"The apartments could be used as short- or long-term rentals," Ms. Fisher said.

Another outbuilding that the current owners use for storage could be renovated and made into a studio or small cottage, she said.

Stats 



The 9,687-square-foot villa has a total of 10 bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and one partial bath; this includes two apartments with separate entrances. There is also a two-bedroom, two-bath guesthouse. The property measures six acres.

Amenities 



The park-like grounds have lawns and mature plantings along with lemon trees and about 200 olive trees.

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Celebrity Cachet 



Michelangelo is best known as the painter of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome and the sculptor of the statues of David and the Pieta in Florence.

Though he considered himself a Florentine, he lived most of his life in Rome and died there in 1564 at the age of 88. He is considered by many to be the greatest artist of all time, a major influence for Western Art.

Neighborhood Notes 



"It’s mostly weekend estates nearby," Ms. Fisher said. "There is a small village with an outdoor market and lots of little shops."

The Tuscany region is known for its Chianti vineyards and medieval fortressed hill towns with narrow winding streets. The rustic rolling hills are dotted with cypress trees, poppies, grasses and sunflowers. 

Agent: Debbie Fisher, Handsome Properties International

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