A Palace of Wonders on the Costa Smeralda
For Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, Sardinia has long been a summer escape from the searing Doha heat. Now, the Mediterranean retreat could take on an entirely new meaning. Reports from Italy suggest the emir is preparing to purchase Villa Certosa, the legendary estate on the Costa Smeralda once owned by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The price tag is estimated at a staggering $585 million, placing the property among the most expensive private residences in Europe.
Nicknamed the “Palace of Wonders,” Villa Certosa spans 120 hectares of manicured grounds overlooking the Gulf of Marinella. It offers 4,500 square meters of living space, encompassing 68 principal rooms, numerous bungalows, and an array of leisure facilities designed to impress on a monumental scale. For decades, it stood as Berlusconi’s most famous property, playing host to heads of state, business magnates, and celebrities alike. Its reputation as both a political stage and a private retreat makes it an estate of historic as well as aesthetic significance.
For the emir, who already owns the $500 million superyacht Al Lusail, Villa Certosa would be a terrestrial complement to his floating palace. If completed, the purchase would signal more than another addition to his portfolio of luxury assets. It would anchor Qatar’s ruling family in one of Europe’s most storied enclaves of wealth, blending Mediterranean natural beauty with architectural theater.
A Villa of Fantasies and Fortresses
Villa Certosa is not simply expansive; it is fantastical. The estate is famous for its artificial volcano, which at the flick of a switch can rumble, glow, and send streams of faux lava cascading down its slopes. The spectacle has been so convincing that on at least one occasion, it reportedly prompted calls to the local fire brigade. It is a detail that epitomizes Berlusconi’s vision for the property, extravagant, playful, and designed to surprise.
The grounds are equally theatrical, featuring a Greco-Roman amphitheater, five swimming pools, ornamental lakes, and a hidden sea cave with direct access to the ocean. A golf course and football pitch add sporting diversions, while a private helipad ensures seamless arrival. In recent years, reports have also highlighted a subterranean bunker, a discreet reminder of how luxury estates for the global elite increasingly double as fortresses in an uncertain world.
Every corner of Villa Certosa carries Berlusconi’s imprint. Lavish renovations and architectural flourishes transformed the estate into a living symbol of his power and flamboyance. Now, with the property on the market following his passing, it is poised to pass from one era of influence into another, from the hands of a controversial Italian statesman to those of a Gulf monarch whose wealth and reach extend across continents.
A Transaction Fit for Global Royalty
Negotiations for the sale are reportedly being handled by Sotheby’s International Realty in partnership with Dubai-based Knight Castle Real Estate, signaling the scale and complexity of a transaction of this magnitude. For Sardinia, the deal would further cement the island’s status as a playground for the world’s wealthiest, where private estates rival the grandeur of royal palaces and mega-yachts crowd the marinas each summer.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, at 47, presides over one of the world’s richest sovereign families, with Qatar’s wealth fund valued at an estimated $335 billion. His reputation as a connoisseur of luxury is well established. His yacht Al Lusail alone is among the largest and most expensive in existence, fitted with interiors by March & White and exterior design by H2 Yacht Design. Adding Villa Certosa to his holdings would be both a personal statement of taste and a symbolic extension of his family’s presence in Europe.
Hints of his intent surfaced recently with sightings of Al Lusail anchored off San Teodoro and reports of the emir staying at Villa H2O in Puntaldia during a Sardinian visit. Such gestures have fueled speculation that his interest in the “Palace of Wonders” is more than casual. Should the deal be finalized, Villa Certosa would not only gain a new custodian but also reaffirm the enduring allure of Sardinia as a stage where wealth, power, and spectacle converge.