Set on a sprawling 500 acres in the Napa Valley town of Calistoga, the Villa Montana is the utterly extravagant home of legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana. The stunning estate, capped by a 9,700-square-foot Mediterranean mansion, first went to market for $49M, but it's since been chopped to an ever-so-slightly more reasonable $35M. Montana himself claims he "can't think of a better expression of art, architecture, and celebration of California's Wine Country and equestrian lifestyle than Villa Montana." But take that with a grain of salt, because he's the one who stands to take home $35M if it sells. There's not much trace of a football past here, but plenty of other diversions, including full equestrian facilities, a skeet shooting station, an olive farm, a swimming pool and spa, a private pond, a basketball court, and even a bocce ball court. The views of the surrounding Napa Valley countryside are fabulous, and even more so when you own much of what you see. Can the 49ers' current QB, Alex Smith, ever hope to own such an extravagant estate? Well, that might just hinge on what happens this weekend against the New York Giants in the NFC championship. Even so, probably not.
· 10500 Franz Valley Road [Trulia]
Monday, January 30, 2012
Celebrity Real Estate: 49ers Legend Joe Montana's Outlandish Napa Estate Chopped
Monday, October 3, 2011
John Legend Lists: R&B crooner John Legend is bidding...
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Monday, August 1, 2011
Globe Trotting: Rent Opera Legend Luciano Pavarotti's Summer House in Italy
When the famous operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti passed away in 2007, he left this summer villa on the Adriatic to his heirs, along with an impressive $474M fortune amassed over his 45 year career. The villa, one of the late tenor's many properties around the world, is now for rent to vacationers with a taste for classical music and, it seems, bold colors. Located in the resort community of Pesaro, Italy—where, coincidentally, 19th-century opera composer Gioacchino Rossini was born—this hillside villa is within walking distance of the beach and features a tennis court, a music room, a bocce court, and a gym, and can sleep up to 23 people in its 10 bedrooms. Staying at the famous maestro's compound costs $27K per week in high season.
· Villa Giulia [Ville in Italia]