Villa for sale in Porto Santo Stefano, Tuscany, Italy

In a very panoramic position on the Argentario promontory, not far from Porto Santo Stefano, old lighthouse converted into a luxury villa The building, 300 sqm in total, houses nowadays 5 bedrooms and is surrounded by 2.2 hectares of land, fully landscaped as a garden where one could also build a helipad The retired position of the villa, other than offering a breathtaking view over the sea and the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, also makes it perfect both as a private residence and as a rental property.
Services are all available in the nearby town of Porto Santo Stefano, and several cities of central Italy are easily reached by car (Orbetello, Porto Ercole, Saturnia, Castiglione della Pescaia, Orvieto, Siena, Roma, Firenze…).
The closest airport is in Grosseto (56km; 1h) but the terminals of Rome, Florence, Pisa and Perugia are equally convenient.

Description of the buildings
The tower (300 sqm – 3,228 sqft, 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms) is laid over three floors. Entering on the ground floor there is an ample living area with an open-plan kitchen and a bathroom. Via a marble staircase with iron railings, one reaches the night area on the first floor where there are four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Going further up, one reaches the upper floor of the tower with the master bedroom, its en-suite bathroom and a nice panoramic terrace on the roof.

There is then a small outbuilding outside and it is also possible to build a convenient helipad in the property, which would make reaching the house even easier.

History, state and finishes
The lighthouse was built in the second half of the 19th century by the Regia Marina (the Italian Royal Navy) as a control point along the coast of Tuscany. A few years later, the building was also fitted with a radio and telegraph station for quicker communication with the mainland.
During World War II, the complex was converted into a coastal artillery position, with cannons and anti-aircraft guns. In 1943 the tower was already obsolete and its functions were quickly assigned to more modern buildings. In the same year, considering how the war was going for Italy, the lighthouse was definitely written off by the navy and abandoned.
After many years, on 28 April 1959, the Italian government (at that point owner of the building) auctioned off the lighthouse which was then bought by a private citizen with the idea of converting it into a luxury house. The project was never fulfilled and the building was restored only in 2010 – 2011.
Over 5 years, the tower was fully rebuilt in reinforced concrete following the modern anti-seismic criteria. The outer walls have been filled with stone, which grants excellent thermal insulation, and the façades have been plastered as they were in the original building. The old road leading to the lighthouse was very narrow and inconvenient for modern vehicles, so the owners decided to enlarge and improve so that cars can now more easily pass through.

Exteriors
The tower is located on the summit of a mountain, roughly 371 m above sea level. All around the building, there are 2.2 hectares of land (5.4 acres), entirely covered in gardens and paved terraces. In a very panoramic spot one can find a beautiful overlook offering an incredible view over the sea and Giglio Island towards the horizon.
The paved terrace surrounding the villa is also ideal for al fresco dining in the pleasant summer climate of Argentario.