This $42 Million Estate in Italy Has Its Own Castle, Vineyard, and 12th-Century Church

If you’ve ever fantasized about a place in Italy that has everything you need for la dolce vita, this Lake Garda estate might be the golden ticket. Recently listed with Savills for €36 million (about $42 million), the sprawling property doesn’t just have a grand residence but also an authentic castle, along with a consecrated 12th-century church, its own vineyard, and olive groves. There’s even a spot to land your helicopter!

The rural spread sits on a sunny, secluded hillside above Bardolino, with wide-open views across Lake Garda and the surrounding countryside. Altogether, it spans roughly 72 acres comprising landscaped gardens, vineyards, and woodlands. 

Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake, about halfway between Venice and Milan, is best known today for sailing and windsurfing, but the surrounding mountains are layered with history too, including World War I–era “open-air museums” carved into the peaks. According to local lore, the hillside on which this estate is situated is where a young Napoleon once climbed the cliff below the fortress and carved a heart into the rock.

Known as Villa Sant’Andrea, and widely considered among the most valuable private estates in Italy, the estate is located in the town of Affi, just outside Verona. As reported, it’s owned by German-born Princess Astrid von Liechtenstein, who married into one of Europe’s wealthiest royal families back in 2003. Over the years, the Liechtenstein and her husband, Prince Alexander von Liechtenstein, reportedly spent millions restoring and modernizing the various buildings, following an earlier renovation by the legendary designer Renzo Mongiardino.

The main house is a traditional Italian country villa spanning more than 20,000 square feet. It was restored over the course of a decade and feels elegant and aristocratic without tipping into museum territory, with several reception rooms, a billiard room, a modern kitchen, and seven en-suite bedrooms. Arched porticoes wrap the exterior, opening out to views of the gardens, vines, and olive trees below.

Then there’s the estate’s oldest structure, a consecrated church dating back to the 12th century, and the castle, perched higher up the hillside, with commanding lake views and a wide circular stone staircase connecting its four floors that house four additional bedroom suites, along with a salon, wine cellarWine CellarA temperature- and humidity-controlled space for storing wine, from a small cabinet to a dedicated underground room or custom-built vault. Proper cellaring allows wines to age gracefully, and a well-designedGo to Wine Cellar Glossary, and gym. Additional space for guests or staff comes in the form of a detached structure on the hillside above the main villa, divided into two independent apartments, and at the far edge of the estate, a former hunting lodge has been restored and paired with an infinity pool.

The vineyards produce Merlot, Cabernet, Corvina, and Rondinella, while the olive groves yield enough oil for private use. Beyond the romance and historic elegance, Villa Sant’Andrea is fully outfitted for modern life, with fiber-optic connectivity and high-tech surveillance systems.

Click here to see more photos of this Lake Garda estate.

This article originally appeared in Robb Report US.