It takes one to know one. The wealthy Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, acquired the spectacular Villa Certosa on the Costa Smeralda, fully understanding that this extravagant estate was already a fully functioning royal compound. Truly a one-of-a-kind property, it was purchased by the Qatari royal for an asking price of over $400 million.
Interestingly he also paid an additional $112 million on top of the estimated value as a sort of celebrity premium to close the deal, bringing the total value to over $500 million. That hardly sounds like an astronomical amount for the Al Thani royal, who recently donated one of his private $400 million gold-trimmed Boeing 747-8 to the United States which went onto become America’s interim Air Force One.
According to the German publication Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, ownership of Villa Certosa was reportedly scheduled to be handed over to the new owner at the beginning of October. Villa Certosa is a real estate gem that cannot simply be replicated, even with the power of immense wealth.
It was assembled and enlarged over decades, with former owner Silvio Berlusconi purchasing neighboring properties and incorporating them into a self-contained compound. As a result, this larger-than-life home of the media mogul and prime minister ended up with a main residence, guest residences, sports and entertainment facilities, secure sea access, vast landscaped grounds and even its own amphitheater.
Among the more unusual features are a fake volcano, a nuclear bunker, greenhouses for orchids, 2,500 cacti, 1,200 palm trees, an amusement park, and even a soccer field. The main residence, which sits on the 120-hectare estate overlooking the Gulf of Marinella near Porto Rotondo, spans 4,500 square meters.
It is dotted with seven swimming pools and a lake. The legendary house in northeastern Sardinia is comparable to the main Doha royal palace complex in terms of its room count. While the Middle Eastern residential palace flaunts more than 100 rooms spread across a compound, Villa Certosa is reported to contain 126 rooms.
The Villa Certosa is also similar in terms of atmosphere and the VVIP’s who have graced the estate. Berlusconi, who served as Prime Minister from 1994 to 2011, received heads of state and government from around the world, from George W. Bush to Tony Blair and José María Aznar, much like his Qatari counterpart.
Whether Villa Certosa will be used as a Sardinian residence for the Qatari royal family, with the emir’s equally expensive $500 million superyacht, Al Lusail, reportedly making regular visits to Sardinia; or if it will be turned into a five-star-plus hospitality property remains unknown.
