Saudi royals ‘tour Silvio Berlusconi’s $545m mansion in Italy’
Former Italian Prime Minister reportedly selling 68-room retreat on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda
Saudi royals are looking to buy a $545 million mansion in Sardinia owned by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, according to press reports.
Berlusconi recently gave Mohammed bin Nayef – the Saudi Crown Prince and interior minister – a five-hour tour of the 168-acre Villa Certosa estate on the Costa Smeralda, according to the Corriere della Sera newspaper.
The estate reportedly includes six swimming pools, an amphitheatre and an artificial volcano that erupts on command.
The Italian newspaper speculated that the prince may be interested in making a purchase on behalf of King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud.
Guests can enter the 68-room property by sailing from the Mediterranean through a gated entrance and into a semi-submerged cave. They can then climb a stairway leading directly into the estate, which also comes with its own separate villa overlooking the Mediterranean, and includes an orange grove and lagoon.
The property was originally listed on the market three years ago for $505 million, according to the Daily Mail.
