It’s not every day you find a luxury home listing called “Majestic Medieval Castle” that states “10 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms and year of construction: 1034”. The Castello del Poggio in Guardea, near Terni is one of the oldest castles in Italy, located in the Umbria region, known as the green heart of Italy.
You can now buy the 17th-century Villa known as Villa degli Armeni di Fiesso d'Artico, a few miles from Venice. The auction price begins at $2,950,000. The original property value is slightly more than $9,000,000.
This is exactly what you will find in the stateliest real estate offerings in Italy.
If you think living in luxury is only for the stars or aristocrats, think again. Castles, villas, farmhouses, historical buildings, and ultra-modern technological houses are waiting to be inhabited from north to south and every picturesque region between.
Italy has the highest concentration of artistic, architectural and landscape beauty in the world. This fuels the American dreamers who imagine owning a piece of it. Not to mention embracing the alluring food, wine and Mediterranean lifestyle.
In 2023, the demand for magnificent homes in Italy is growing thanks to low average prices (compared to luxury properties in the United States), low mortgage rates and a wide range of high-end homes in the most popular places of the Italian peninsula.
For example, the “Majestic Medieval Castle” offers plenty of room for your guests with a total of 70 rooms and nearly 28,000 square feet of living space, drenched in history which can be yours for the price of $6.6 million.
In many cases, Americans purchase homes in Italy to improve their family lifestyle and benefit from living within the European business community. Here are 5 luxury real estate websites that can be the starting line to make your Italian dream a reality.
According to Italian real estate site, gate-away.com, Tuscany was the most preferred region for American buyers. Tuscany is followed by Lombardy, Sicily, Umbria, and Apulia, and interest in Veneto, including Venice, has increased by nearly 80%.
Among all foreign buyers, the most sought-after locations are Lake Como, Chianti, Lunigiana, and the Valle d’Itria. Lake Idro, Cinque Terre, and Cilento Coast are also top preferences, while the most popular cities are Rome, Milan, Turin, and Venice.
Americans tend to prefer fully restored, turn-key apartments, while foreign buyers look for restored or otherwise habitable detached houses as second homes. Among the most sought-after features of a villa, detached house or farmhouse are a garden, terrace or swimming pool. Home automation also seems to be fundamental for these buyers like wireless controls and safety systems and even docking stations for electric cars.
Millennials represent the most influential group of buyers. The luxury property market satisfies their demand for real estate and an environment that promotes wellness. For these adventurous buyers, homes with extensive outdoor spaces like those throughout Italy are the ideal fit.
Barbara Benzoni
Barbara Benzoni was born in Milan and lives between Rome and Tuscany. She is devoted to USA, the land of courage and innovation. She’s Peter's super-lucky mum and Ale's wife. Cinema, art, good food and only beautiful things are the themes of her existence. With a degree in Italian literature and a Masters in Sports Management she can both enjoys books and basketball matches. In 25 years she has been organizing sport events all over the world and she’s been lucky enough to meet the greatest champs ever. Curiosity in everyday life and people are her drivers. Her personal icon is Mohammed Ali : "It's not bragging if you can back it up".