A 600-Year-Old Medieval Villa Overlooking Florence Lists for €12 Million

A 14th-century villa in the hills overlooking Florence, Italy, has hit the market for €12 million (US$13 million).

Surrounded by cypress trees, vineyards and olive groves, the quintessential Tuscan home was built for the Davanzati family—who were powerful bankers, merchants and patrons during the Italian Renaissance who have a museum named after them in the heart of the city. The villa was one of the family’s multiple country retreats, according to Lionard Luxury Real Estate, which brought the home to the market earlier this month.

The four-storey, lemon-hued villa boasts more than 16,000 square feet of living space and historic character and charm by the bucket load.

The ballroom has a giant skylight.
Courtesy of Lionard

On the ground floor there are a number of reception rooms and open-air living areas, with many of them boasting antique paintings, tapestries and stately fireplaces made of marble or carved stone.

The most “magnificent” room, according to Lionard, is the winter garden hall, a ballroom with stuccos, loggias and towering vaulted ceilings, illuminated by an Art Nouveau skylight.

On the first floor are multiple double bedrooms and an antique library, and the second floor, while in need of renovation, offers the possibility of creating up to 12 en-suite bedrooms. The villa’s tower has a “delightful sitting room and a rooftop terrace offering a breathtaking view of the city of Florence,” the listing said.

The villa has ivy-covered loggias.
Courtesy of Lionard

The basement, meanwhile, has a cellar with brick vaults that are perfect for wine lovers. An elevator runs between the levels.

Outside, the grounds have well-kept gardens, rolling lawns, a fountain, ancient wells and ivy-covered loggias.

Mansion Global couldn’t determine who is selling the villa, or when they acquired it.

The property is “an oasis of peace,” the listing said, and “one of the most exclusive historical estates on the hills that surround the city of Florence.”

A landmark Watsons Bay residence formerly owned by businessman Mark Bouris has returned to the market, bringing one of the harbourside village’s most distinctive homes back into play.

The five-bedroom property at 23 Robertson Place occupies 654 square metres opposite Robertson Park, within footsteps of Watsons Bay Beach, the ferry wharf and the celebrated restaurants lining the foreshore.

Its position places the home at the centre of one of Sydney’s most recognisable harbour villages, yet its substantial proportions, private outdoor areas and garaging give it a degree of separation rarely found so close to the waterfront.

The residence was previously owned by Bouris, the founder of Wizard Home Loans and chairman of Yellow Brick Road. Property records show it last changed hands in November 2013 for $7 million, having sold for $890,000 in 1995.

That 2013 transaction was handled by prestige agent Bill Malouf through Highland Double Bay. Bouris was the vendor when the home last sold.

Architect Malcolm Sholl designed the contemporary residence around a fluid connection between its interiors and outdoor entertaining areas. Extensive glazing draws natural light into the principal rooms, while district views take in the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Travertine flooring extends through the principal living areas and out towards the terraces, reinforcing the relationship between the home and its coastal setting.

At the centre of the residence is a marble kitchen equipped with Gaggenau gas appliances and an integrated Miele coffee machine. It connects to expansive open-plan living and dining areas designed for both family life and large-scale entertaining.

Five double bedrooms are accompanied by three bathrooms and a guest powder room. Informal living spaces include a home cinema.

Outside, there’s a 23-metre lap pool and an alfresco entertainer’s terrace. Internal access from the garage and accommodation for four cars are especially valuable in the tightly held village location.

The address also carries an unusual fragment of local architectural history. Woollahra planning material identifies portions of an early Victorian cottage dating from about 1839 within the contemporary three-storey residence, placing the property within the wider Watsons Bay heritage conservation area.

The home made headlines for another reason in January 2025, when a Ferrari left the road and struck the property. Two occupants of the vehicle were taken to hospital following the incident.

The Agency’s Ben Collier has a $20 million guide.

Watsons Bay remains one of Sydney’s smallest and most tightly held prestige markets. There have only been two house sales in the suburb so far in 2026. The suburb record was set late last year when yachtie Linda Goddard paid $35.5 million for a Pacific Street waterfront.