This Mediterranean villa for sale in Bordighera, Italy, is in a location fit for a queen.
The specific queen who made her official winter residence along the sea here was Queen Margherita of Savoy. Tall in stature, highly educated and with an ability to turn on the charm, the naturally inquisitive blonde served as the Queen consort of Italy from 1878 until 1900. Legend has it that the Margherita pizza, which displays the Italian flag colors of white, red and green, was named to honor her during a visit to Naples.
“Bordighera is a quiet and relaxing city of the Riviera in Liguria, shares Jacopo Del Maestro, managing director of Building Heritage. “People [come to] enjoy the good restaurants and relaxing life of a beach town. The weather is sweet even in the wintertime, and Monte Carlo and France are just a 30-minute drive away.”
Set in the Riviera of Flowers, a villa in Bordighera is an ideal winter haunt with its mild climate. The coastal city, 12 miles from the border with France, is rich in historic buildings, churches and gardens.
Perhaps borrowing from its near neighbor, the three-level villa is representative of those typically found in the south of France. A rare beauty, it sits within 4,000 square meters (roughly an acre) of lush grounds a mere 600 meters (less than 2,000 feet) from the sea. Agaves, euphorbias, palms, citrus and olive trees fill the grounds, which are traversed by a stream.
An arched door in the turret entry opens to the ground floor of the 650-square-meter villa, which retains much of its original detail and elegance. The living space features a functional fireplace and opens to outdoor dining and living areas.
Herringbone tile floors carry over into the formal dining room, which features arch-topped built-ins and a large window. The nearby kitchen accesses the terrace, which takes in ocean and parkland views.
The primary bedroom suite and a storage room are also on this level.
Spiral staircases lead to the upper floor with six bedrooms and four bathrooms featuring mosaic tile work. One of the bathrooms sits inside a second turret.
The lower floor has a bar area that opens to the gardens and includes an independent apartment with a double bedroom, sitting room, kitchen and laundry.
Accessed from the outside is a three-room apartment with kitchen and bathroom for a total of nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms throughout—enough space for a large family retreat. There’s also a garage and a greenhouse onsite.
The villa could potentially be split into several apartments, adding investment potential, according to Del Maestro.
Cinzia Romanelli and Jacopo Del Maestro of Building Heritage are representing the property, which is priced at €2.75 million or about US $2.9 million.