A stunning Roman villa that Sophia Loren once called home has hit the market for $26 million.
Known as Villa d’Autore, it “is located along the Via Appia Antica, or Appian Way, an Ancient Roman road that was built to transport troops and military supplies in 312 B.C.,” according to Mansion Global. Beyond that, “[t]he villa is just outside Rome’s center, only a few miles from the Colosseum.”
Loren’s late husband, Italian film producer Carlo Ponti, purchased the villa before he married the star and was responsible for extensive renovations.
While Loren and Ponti lived in the home, “[a] number of movie stars visited the villa over the years, including Rex Harrison, Kirk and Michael Douglas, Tony Curtis, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton…”
Ponti then sold the property in 1985, and the new owners originally put it on the market in 2018 for €19 million (US$22.3 million). Now, they’re trying to sell it again at a higher price. Granted, whoever picks up the property will be able to enjoy a breathtakingly beautiful home.
The Interior of the Home Is Incredible
The villa was originally designed by the Italian architectural firm Busiri Vici around 1900.
Boasting over 8,600 square feet and two levels, 3,200 square feet of that make up the hall in the middle of the home, which splits into three “interconnecting rooms with three fireplaces and large windows overlooking the garden,” per Mansion Global.
Offering the owners five bedrooms that all have their own ensuite bathroom, the home also features a guest bathroom, a library and a staff room. There is also an elevator that can travel between the home’s two floors and up to a rooftop terrace.
In some rooms, residents can find “statues and other marble artifacts, some of which are more than 2,400 years old.”
The Exterior Is Just as Dreamy
The home sits above the rest of the property, which includes 24 acres. Built on “a layer of solidified lava from a nearby volcano in an area that Ancient Romans excavated to extract basalt,” the land features “a kind of natural amphitheater,” according to the listing, via Global Mansion.
Outside, the potential new owners will be able to enjoy “a swimming pool, stone pathways, private relaxation areas, a garage, a gardener’s annex and more than 150,000 square feet of landscaped gardens that were designed by the owner, who is a landscape architect.”
That’s not to mention the fact that a separate 7,500-square-foot Provencal-style building can be found on the property. Once a stable, it’s been transformed into a home with a loft-like living space and an impressive kitchen.
