Berlusconi heirs sell Villa Certosa to Qatar's Al Thani family for €350 million
Silvio Berlusconi's heirs have sold the former Italian prime minister's iconic Sardinian retreat, Villa Certosa, to a company linked to Qatar's ruling Al Thani family for €350 million, ending years of speculation about the property's fate.
The sale
Fininvest's Immobiliare Idra accepted a binding offer from Constellation Hotels Holding, a Luxembourg-based investment vehicle linked to Qatar's ruling Al Thani family. The price is €350 million, a €150 million discount from the initial €500 million asking price set after Berlusconi's death on June 12, 2023. The buyer is associated with Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar's former prime minister and foreign minister from 2007 to 2013. Reuters identified the sheikh as Jassim bin Hamad al Thani.
confirms it has accepted a binding offer from a foreign entity for the sale of Villa Certosa.
The property
Villa Certosa sits on 120 hectares (300 acres) overlooking the Gulf of Marinella near Porto Rotondo on Sardinia's Costa Smeralda. The estate, larger than Vatican City at 580,477 square meters, includes a main villa with 14 bedrooms, seven guest villas, seven outdoor pools, a thalassotherapy spa, football and golf fields, a children's amusement park, a cactus amphitheatre with 2,100 plants of 500 species, a fake Neptune's grotto, an artificial volcano that erupts on command, an atomic bunker, a helipad, and an underground grotto for discreet boat access. Berlusconi bought the property in the 1980s, originally called Villa Monastero, and had architect Gianni Gamondi redesign it.
Berlusconi's legacy
The villa became a symbol of the former prime minister's lavish lifestyle. It hosted world leaders including George W. Bush, Tony Blair, and Vladimir Putin, and was the setting for some of Berlusconi's infamous "bunga bunga" parties. A 2009 photo published by El País showed former Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek nude near one of the pools. Berlusconi died on June 12, 2023, and his five children have been rationalising his property portfolio. The sale helps clarify the final financial inheritance, which includes €100 million each for his former partner Marta Fascina and his brother Paolo Berlusconi.
Qatar's Sardinian footprint
The Al Thani family already has significant investments in the Gallura region, including the Costa Smeralda via the Qatar Foundation and the Mater Olbia Hospital. The purchase of Villa Certosa adds to their luxury tourism assets on the island. Previous potential buyers for the villa had included the Sultan of Brunei, Arab billionaires, and international hotel chains.
- Berlusconi purchases the property, originally Villa Monastero, renames it Villa Certosa and has it redesigned.
- Silvio Berlusconi dies; heirs later put the villa on sale for €500 million.
- Fininvest accepts binding offer from Constellation Hotels Holding for €350 million.
