Qatari Royal Buys Villa Certosa for €350 Million in Italy

One of Europe's most storied private estates has changed hands. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, the billionaire former Prime Minister of Qatar, has completed the purchase of Villa Certosa, the legendary Sardinian property once owned by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

According to Il Sole 24 Ore, the deal closed at around €350 million ($395 million), a significant reduction from the original asking price of €500 million ($571 million). Sheikh Hamad's personal fortune is estimated by Forbes at nearly $5 billion, and Villa Certosa adds one of the Mediterranean's most unusual properties to an already extensive collection of luxury assets.

A Property That Defies Conventional Scale

Located on Sardinia's Costa Smeralda, Villa Certosa covers approximately 120 hectares, making it larger than Vatican City and roughly equivalent to 83 standard football pitches. The main residence spans around 4,500 sq m across 126 rooms, designed by Italian architect Gianni Gamondi.

Seven pools are spread across the grounds, including a thalassotherapy area made up of five connected seawater pools, alongside two artificial lakes complete with small islands, resident swans and a floating tiki bar.

The estate's more unusual features were added during Berlusconi's ownership: an artificial volcano with a mechanical eruption system, a hidden grotto carved into the seaside hillside accessible only by boat through an underground tunnel, and a bunker with an anti-nuclear shelter. Annual running costs reach around €8 million, with electricity alone reportedly accounting for €1.3 million per year. The property carries a €94 million mortgage and requires its own private desalination plant to supply water across the sprawling grounds.

Also Read: Qatari Diar Unveils $29.7bn Alam Al Roum Master Plan

From Private Retreat to High-End Resort

Sheikh Hamad does not intend to use Villa Certosa as a private home. His company, Constellation Hotels, already operates luxury and historic properties across Europe, and the plan is to convert the estate into a high-end resort.

The purchase also carries a personal dimension: he has spent more than two decades visiting the Sardinian coast, and his 436-foot superyacht Al Mirqab, valued at around $300 million, is a regular presence near Porto Cervo each summer.

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