An idyllic Tuscan farmhouse once owned by Michelangelo is up for sale

If you have a big budget and are thinking of moving to Italy, a gorgeous farmhouse in Tuscany that used to be owned by Michelangelo is on the market. The famous Italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet of the High Renaissance, who painted the scenes from Genesis on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, bought the property in 1549. At the time, he was 74 years old and was just about to begin the massive job of building St. Peter’s Basilica.

Michelangelo asked his nephew Leonardo to find him a property in the area, as his family, the Buonarrotis, are from Tuscany. The six-acre, three-storey property that Leonardo found is just outside the village of Castellina in Chianti, which is situated between Florence and Siena. The classic stone building was built around an 11th century tower, and is known locally as La Torre di Michelangelo, or the Tower of Michelangelo. A copy of the original deed signed by the artist comes with the purchase of the house.

The property has ten bedrooms and seven bathrooms, and an approximately 12,000-square-foot main house and a 1000-square-foot converted Renaissance oil-mill-turned-guesthouse. Special features include wrought-iron balconies, rustic wood-beam ceilings and a stone courtyard, and there’s a brick barrel-vaulted ceiling in one of the living rooms. A ten-year restoration was made to the façade and interiors of the property, which has its own lemon orchard, an olive grove with 200 olive trees, manicured lawns and vineyards.

The romantic villa was cherished until 1867 by the Buonarroti family, and is now on sale for €7.5m/$9.37m. For further information, check out the listing here by Handsome Properties International in Charleston, South Carolina.