Home to the once powerful del Giocondo family from 1498 to 1517, an historic villa commands a scenic hill on the left side of the river Arno a few kilometers from Florence. Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, and better known to the world as Mona Lisa, perhaps sat for Leonardo da Vinci in one of the many splendid rooms of the storied 16th century complex. A manor house, keepers’ lodgings, two conservatories, a warehouse, and other rural buildings for agricultural use are surrounded by 27 hectares of splendid parks and gardens, tree-lined alleys, vineyards, and olive groves. The original entrance to the estate is an iron double gate that opens to a drive lined by cypress trees and leads to the Italian-style garden rich in ornamental plants and basins designed by the English architect, Cecil Pinsent. The main body of the 2,800-square-meter villa comprises three levels and a basement floor served by internal staircases and an elevator. A chapel—typical of prestigious period dwellings, and a precious example of the devotional architecture of the 18th century—is cloistered on the fabulous grounds.
Villa Antinori di Monte Aguglioni, Tuscany – near Florence, Italy
Offered at €38,000,000