Cultured living – homes near Unesco world heritage sites
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Villa Massei, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy, €7.5m
Where: In the northwest of Italy, 8km from Lucca, 20km from Pisa and 40km from Pisa international airport.
What: A five-bedroom villa plus a two-bedroom guest house and three-bedroom staff quarters in a plot of 21 hectares. Originally a 16th-century hunting lodge, three hectares are designed and landscaped in different styles of Renaissance garden. The swimming pool is surrounded by a Mediterranean style garden.
Why: The historic centre of Lucca is on the tentative list to become a Unesco world heritage site, and the estate is also a short drive from Pisa, Florence and Siena – all of which enjoy Unesco status for their medieval and Renaissance art and architecture.
Who: Sotheby’s International Realty Tuscany, sir.com, tel: +39 055 075 1888
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Swinsty Hall, Fewston, North Yorkshire, UK, £3.75m
Where: On the edge of Swinsty Reservoir, 215 miles north of London, 12 miles from Leeds Bradford international airport.
What: Built in 1570, this recently refurbished Grade I-listed hall features 9,000 sq ft of living space, with six bedrooms, four bathrooms and a two-bedroom guest cottage set in 4.5 acres.
Why: Just 20 minutes’ drive away is the 800-acre Studley Royal Park, described by Unesco as a “true masterpiece of human creative genius”, and the site of Fountains Abbey, the UK’s largest monastic ruin.
Who: Knight Frank, knightfrank.com, tel: +44 (1) 423 530088
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Manorial Palace, Dalt Vila, Ibiza, Spain, €9.5m
Where: In the heart of Dalt Vila in Ibiza’s old town, 7km from Ibiza airport.
What: A recently renovated seven-bedroom, six-bathroom palace, dating from 1740, and a separate staff apartment. The property overlooks the cathedral, sea, and old town, and has a roof terrace with an outdoor kitchen and pool.
Why: The Upper Town (Dalt Vila) of Ibiza is a Unesco world heritage site, where the architecture has changed little since the 16th century.
Who: Ibiza Sotheby’s International Realty, ibiza-sothebysrealty.com, tel: +34 971 310 799
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Bullis Creek Ranch, Livingston, Montana, US, $14.5m
Where: In the southwest of Montana, near the Yellowstone river, 35 miles from Bozeman Yellowstone international airport.
What: A 9,000 sq ft log home, built in 1997 and set in 6,220 acres. The ground floor is open plan, while the upstairs master bedroom has views of the Absaroka mountain range.
Why: The ranch is a 40-minute drive from the only year-round entrance to the Unesco world heritage site of Yellowstone National Park, the oldest national park in the world.
Who: Abercrombie & Kent International Estates, akinternationalestates.com, tel: +44 (0) 20 3667 7016
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Quinta da Cerca do Colégio, Alcobaça, Cascais, Portugal, €3.95m
Where: In the town of Alcobaça, about 100km north of Lisbon airport, and 10km from the Atlantic coast.
What: A former 16th-century monastic school, with 19,375 sq ft of living space, 17 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms. The estate covers 23 acres and includes the main house, three guest houses, stables, outbuildings, a pool and 13.5 acres of agricultural land.
Why: The estate is attached to the monastery, which is a Unesco world heritage site and a place of pilgrimage for lovers as it houses the tombs of Pedro I and his murdered queen Inês de Castro.
Who: Engel & Völkers Cascais, engelandvolkers.com, tel: +351 210 170 425
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