Among the 50 ultra-luxury properties sold by Italy Sotheby’s International Realty in the last three years, with a value of over 150 million euros, there is also a villa that once belonged to Paolina Bonaparte (opening photo). The real estate company of the British auction house, states that the territorial offices in Florence and Lucca have also concluded record transactions of 20 million euros in Argentario. Among the masterpiece villas in the most sought-after Italian region by wealthy international clients are a spectacular villa in Sbarcatello (in 2022) and a Michelangelo-style villa for 9 million in San Casciano (in 2023). Sales exceeding 2 million euros are over 20, including historically valuable properties such as the villa that belonged to Paolina Bonaparte, the favorite sister of Napoleon, also immortalized by Antonio Canova on the famous sofa. The price? Someone made it their residence for 4 million euros in 2022.
Villa Paolina. Interior. All pictures are a courtesy of Italy Sotheby’s International Realty
Where do the Ultra-Wealthy who buy Luxury Villas in Tuscany come From?
Requests for a Tuscan Villa come from all over the world, particularly from the USA, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France. However, the actual transactions in the last three years were mainly concluded with buyers from Italy (27%), USA (20%), United Kingdom (12%), Germany (10%), Switzerland (7%), and France (6%). Notably, there are also buyers from Mexico (6%) and Qatar (6%), indicating an increasingly geographically diverse wealth distribution. It is no surprise that the land of Dante and Michelangelo remains the dream of those looking for a dream mansion in the beautiful country. Tuscany is a region with multiple facets, safeguarding priceless historical and natural treasures, from jewel-like villages to the hills of Chianti, to the beaches of Versilia, not to mention the art cities. Even today, it presents itself as that open-air “laboratory” where culture, art, and literature flourished during the Renaissance (and even before).
View of one of the villas sold in Argentario
Lodovico Pignatti Morano, managing partner of Italy Sotheby’s International Realty, comments, “In the territory, we have a team of over 30 professionals, operating in the residential department and the retreats department of short-term luxury rentals. We strongly believe in the historical and artistic significance of this region and above all in its great growth potential because year after year, thanks also to the opening of the first office in Florence in 2014 and the second in Lucca in 2020, we have recorded an increasing interest in the area from Italian and international buyers who see Tuscany as a secure and valuable investment.”
Argentario
What are the Most Interesting Real Estate Assets in Tuscany?
The most sought-after properties are villas and houses in the countryside and on the hills, as well as trophy assets such as prestigious agricultural companies. Among the most sought-after features are large outdoor areas with swimming pools, vineyards, and olive groves. Historic luxury apartments in the most important art cities, such as Florence and Lucca, are also of interest. In these cases, outdoor spaces such as panoramic terraces and roof terraces are highly in demand, allowing for a unique, unobstructed view of the surrounding area. Given these “stakes” of the most demanding demand, the highest preference goes to completely renovated solutions. Lodovico Pignatti Morano continues, “Increasingly, buyers are looking for properties in excellent condition, with a high energy class and finely renovated, ready to live in. This trend is a sign of our age, where time has become a precious and indispensable asset, as well as the quality of life, constantly at the center of our transactions, thanks to proposals that pay attention to details and services.”
A glimpse of the Villa Sold in San Casciano
Assets Between History and Literature
Currently, the Tuscan portfolio of the British company offers 250 historic and luxury properties, including a selection of those inhabited more or less for long periods by personalities from the world of culture and history: composers Giacomo Puccini and Gaetano Donizetti, the poet Giacomo Leopardi, the writers Giacomo Manzoni and Giuseppe Giusti, and Paolina Bonaparte herself. Finally, the properties stand out for their wealth of food and wine production thanks to their olive groves and vineyards. The real estate company also announces that it is on the market for “an estate that produces 3000 bottles of Super Tuscan” and “an entire village completely restored a few kilometers from Cortona, currently hosting an agriturismo.”
