14th-Century Spanish Estate, With a Chapel, Near Barcelona Heads to Auction

A 67-acre 14-century estate in the hills outside Barcelona, Spain, is headed to the auction block next month.

The fully restored Villa Argentona will be sold in an online auction by Concierge Auctions without a reserve price on July 18, with bidding set to open at 10 a.m. on July 16.

The villa, in the Catalonian town of Argentona, is currently listed for sale for €12.5 million (US$14 million) with Ronei Kolesny of Barleigh Ellis in Barcelona.

The owners turned to Concierge for a timely sale, said Caitlin Keys, managing director for Europe, Middle East and Asia for Concierge Auctions.

The property’s extensive collection of art and sculptures will be included in the sale, with these valued separately at €1 million. The sculptures are by 19th-century artist Louis Thivin.

The villa is being sold fully furnished, Ms. Keys said. “The owners want to convey the entire sale and estate as a package.” The property has many private walkways and trails and eight kilometers of private roadways, she said.

“You can make the area, the space anything you want it to be.”

“There are stables there now, and you could put in a helipad,” Ms. Keys said. “You have this sense of ultimate privacy there.”

“Our buyer will be someone who wants privacy and the outdoors, that’s adjacent to a city,” she said. “It’s 20 minutes outside of Barcelona.”

“Part of what’s amazing about the property are the impeccable gardens,” she added. The gardens are dotted with historic sculptures that the owners purchased from Sotheby’s.

The 2,362-square-meter main house has five bedrooms and six full bathrooms.The formal reception spaces include a grand hall, several drawing rooms and a library.

Architectural details include heavy wooden doors, beamed and barrel ceilings, stone archways, tile and polished wood floors, and leaded-glass windows.

Contemporary features include a climate-controlled 2,500-bottle wine cellar with a tasting room, and an extensive wellness center with a gym, an indoor swimming pool, a sauna, a hammam, a massage room and a private kitchen.

The estate also has three guest houses, each with one bedroom, one bathroom and a kitchen, as well as staff accommodations and a 16-century chapel. “The chapel is in impeccable shape,” Ms. Keys said.

“The villa dates back to 1320,” Ms. Keys said. “It has a real sense of history to it, married with modern conveniences.” “The owners have done an amazing job of preserving that history,” she said. They are originally from Russia, “but they have fully embraced the Spanish way of life.”

They have owned the villa for about 10 years, she said. “They pride themselves on keeping it manicured and well maintained—they spared no expense.”

The spacious grounds include an eight-car garage, an outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court and a soccer field.

Ref: Property Report