Ideal Retreat for an A-list Celebrity

Nicole Vito, the marketing manager with Algarve real estate specialists, Neubersch Mediação Imobiliaria (Richard Neubersch), gives PropertyIndex.com a sneak peek at Castelo Donatello – a grandiose property located a few kilometres from the Algarve's 'Golden Triangle' where the rich and famous have been investing in luxury homes over the last 25 years...

The stately iron security gates open smoothly and silently, and as you walk along the sweeping driveway lined with giant cypress trees to the main house of the estate, you feel you have stepped back in time into a noble Italian home of the 16th century. In fact, you have arrived at Castelo Donatello, one of the most unusual and ingeniously converted luxury mansions in the Algarve, Portugal, located just a few kilometres from the 'Golden Triangle'.

Castelo Donatello is something enticingly different from the opulent, modern-built villas set in upmarket urbanisations with landscaped grounds and golf courses .The house itself has been renovated to set the imagination alight; converted by its present owner with eclectic flair and sometimes with a touch of gothic humour bordering on the eccentric.

A picturesque chapel, for example, which was added to the property during renovation and set in a secluded and peaceful part of the estate, is furnished with valuable religious icons and, at the rear of the altar, a spacious refrigerated drinks cabinet has been installed!

Castelo Donatello features three reception rooms, three bedroom suites, a baronial dining room, a library and a fully equipped, traditional style kitchen with a walk-in refrigerator. The grand living and dining areas are particularly impressive, lavishly furnished with a vast array of antiques and collectors' items and featuring large open fireplaces and high-beamed ceilings.

The Italian influence in Castelo Donatello is no accident. Formerly a prosperous Quinta owned by a Portuguese farmer, it was bought in the 1970s by a Portuguese aristocrat who had lived in Rome for 17 years and chose to recreate an Italian setting for his retirement.

The current owner fell in love with the property; bought it 12 years ago; and carried out further renovations, re-designing the 35,000m2 of gardens and filling the rooms with a vast array of valuable antiques, collectibles and works of art.

Over the years, the current owner scoured the world and had antique 'runners' tracking down suitable treasures to embellish Castelo Donatello. The collection is vast, including several thousand items, and with a total value which is difficult to calculate.

There are, for example, 35 different antique clocks; a relief sculpture of the Madonna and Child, thought to be an original work by the famous Renaissance artist Donatello; and a superb 16th century German piano in walnut made by Rich Sipp & Sohn Stuttgart. The long dining table, weighing nearly two tonnes, is made from trees cut in Brazil and the wood imported to Portugal.

It is difficult to roam the rooms of this unique property without the imagination running riot or a sense of romanticism surging in the blood. The opulent furnishings of the main dining hall evoke an ambience reminiscent of a Hollywood film set.

Castelo Donatello nestles in beautifully manicured Tuscan-style gardens which are enhanced by a swimming lake and tennis court. There is also stabling for four horses and a paddock. Out here, all is perfectly peaceful and serene as you wander through an Elysian setting of lakes, lily ponds, fragrantly scented herbs, flowers and fruit trees.

Roman antiquities, such as two thousand years old amphorae and ancient statues, adorn the gardens and courtyards, including a marble bust of Caesar overlooking the swimming pool. Within the extensive grounds are four guest houses offering a total of seven bedroom suites. There is also an attractive and discreet pool area with a pool house, bar, snooker table, sauna, Turkish bath, and changing room with showers.

The property is offered for sale fully furnished including the entire collection of antiques and paintings, possibly including the owner's 1962 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III!

Click here to read more about Castelo Donatello.

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Information provided by Neubersch Mediação Imobiliaria (Richard Neubersch); real estate experts specialising in the sale of exclusive properties, projects and developments in the Algarve.

© PropertyIndex.com 2008 | Last updated: 02 April 2008