Details
Located seven miles north-east of historic San Juan Capistrano, this 1225 acre estate rests quietly at the intersections of Orange, San Diego and Riverside Counties. Crossing the forever preserved, open cattle ranges of Rancho Mission Viejo on a private road, 23,000 certified organic lemon trees and 1000 olive trees imported from Pistoia, Italy provide the only obvious landmarks to find this totally off-grid, impossibly opulent and luxurious Tuscan Villa resting in a lush valley at the heart of the Ranch. You will soon see the Lion-guarded entry portal which takes you across the stone-arched bridge past Lago Di Cigno (swan lake) to the main house. The single story, main house is 5,048 sf 4 bed, 3 baths and a light-filled logia with panoramic lake views. The large master suit overlooks Lago di Cigno and connects to the opulent master bath with step-up tub and large walk-in shower. The chef's kitchen includes a Viking range and oven and a Sub-Zero Double refrigerator. A second, pool view master bedroom sits on the other side of the house. Guest rooms off the logia give everyone privacy and comfort. Additional rooms include a den (man cave / trophy room), a laundry room, and an extra walk-in closet. There is central air conditioning and heat. Across the breezeway, through doors from Hearst Castle, the wine tasting room has temperature-controlled wine storage and a cigar-smoke ventilation system. The swimming pool area is serviced by a full, indoor kitchen with a vintage Wolf stove and three, private bathroom stalls and showers. The 2112 square foot office, museum and chapel next to the main residence offers a unique workspace and a chapel with a full-size replica of "La Pieta", Michaelangelo's sculpture displayed at St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican. Seller commissioned the 10k lb statue from the same artisans who repaired the original after it was attacked by a madman with a hammer in 1972. (This statue is not included in the sale but may be purchased separately). Numerous other rare and valuable statues that ARE included in the sale: A fifteen-foot-tall bronze Neptune from Florence Italy guards the swimming pool, three Dale Evers statues sit as a backdrop to the hot-tub, and in the garden walk and around the lake, you will encounter a variety of marble Renaissance statues, each worthy of hours of conversation. The main driveway is occupied by "Il Porcelino", a bronze wild boar statue from Florence, Italy. There is even a quick trip to the East via the Asian garden and aviary scene featuring three, full-size terra-cotta soldiers from Xi'an, China. If you look closely, you will even find St. Junipero Serra tending to a coyote. If you can't get enough art, you can create your own in the 2000+ square foot artist studio with vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows for natural light. You can then showcase your art in the 2175 square foot art gallery with museum quality, halogen track lighting. From the art gallery, you can head to the Equestrian Center featuring a four-stall barn with an office, bathroom and trophy room. Train your horse in the riding arena or ride for miles on trails and roads across the Ranch. You might even ride through the olive orchard to the 51 acre exotic animal preserve. The sale includes the elegant Giraffe, the dozen grazing zebras, six African Antelope, a shy Kudu and a few Andean Llamas. You'll have to look hard for the two, wise desert tortoises strolling slowly down by the barn. Go fishing below to your private, two-acre lake with bass and catfish. After that, true your aim at law enforcement quality rifle range. Or you could ride to the high-point of the property for ocean views, Catalina views and views of the Newport Coast. Also includes: Two-Story Guest House, Gym, Aviary, Dog Kennels, Green house, Observatory, Wine Gazebo, Helicopter Pad, Pistol Range, Horse Corrals, 2200 square foot garage, 2200 square foot workshop, 2100 square foot employee triplex.