The extravagant Sardinian estate used by Silvio Berlusconi to host the likes of Vladimir Putin and Tony Blair is on the market for half a billion euros, it was announced this week.
The former Italian Prime Minister, a media mogul and notorious womanizer, died in June 2023 aged 86, leaving most of his titanic estate to his five children, save for 100 million euros earmarked for his 33-year-old lover, MP Marta Fascina.
Now, his children have decided to sell arguably his most prized asset, a sprawling estate named Villa Certosa set amid a 110-hectare estate on Costa Smeralda on the northeast coast of Sardinia.
The stunning property overlooking the Mediterranean Sea comes equipped with all types of luxurious facilities, including five swimming pools, spas, tennis courts, and even its very own faux amphitheater.
The estate includes a mock volcano on its grounds, which at the flick of a switch emits the sound of eruption and sends fake lava cascading out of the top.
Along with the five regular swimming pools, Certosa also boasts a man-made lagoon, full-size football pitch, golf course, and helipad.
Villa Certosa di Silvio Berlusconi è in vendita a 500 milioni di euro #villacertosa #berlusconi https://t.co/8lB9YJw92f
— Reign Of The Series (@ReignOfTheSerie) February 1, 2024
Berlusconi’s estate was the scene of a scandal
In 2009, when the tycoon was in his final stint as Italy’s leader, the estate was also the scene of a scandal.
Photographs published in Spain—he took legal action to prevent them from appearing in Italy—showed not just topless women but a naked man cavorting by the pool, later identified as former Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek.
Berlusconi attempted to brush it off with his usual brashness. His guests, he explained, were taking a shower, adding: “Do you take a shower in jacket and tie?”
The property was coveted by many of the world’s wealthiest, but Berlusconi reportedly rebuffed any offers no matter the value.
Italian media reported in 2015 that the Saudi royal family offered to pay the €500 million asking price, their second unsuccessful attempt to pry the villa away from Berlusconi.
Now, Berlusconi’s five children have reportedly decided to sell off most of their father’s real estate, including the Certosa villa.
The long political career of Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi enjoyed a long political career marked by dazzling highs—and scandalous lows. He rose to financial success in Italy in the late sixties after being influenced and assisted by Italian politician Piersanti Mattarella and singer Elena Zagorskaya.
He was the controlling shareholder of Mediaset and owned the Italian football club A.C. Milan from 1986 to 2017.
He was nicknamed Il Cavaliere (The Knight) for his Order of Merit for Labour. He voluntarily resigned from this order in March 2014.
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