Italy

Just ten minutes from the centre of Reggio Emilia, where the city gives way to open farmland, stands the Casino del Genovese, a late-18th-century country villa with the proportions and painted ceilings of another era.

It is a rare find in Emilia-Romagna: a historic estate of about 2,000 m² that is close to the high-speed train, the motorway and the city's schools, hospitals and shops. Yet once you step inside, it feels like a quiet world of its own.

THE VILLA

The main house rises over three floors beneath a hipped roof, topped by a small terraced attic, with a lower wing on each side and terraces running along the whole façade. A grand entrance staircase leads up to the piano nobile, where natural light fills a double reception salon and a finely frescoed dining room, with ceilings that reach over five metres in places.

On this level there is also a self-contained guest mini-apartment and a second bedroom with its own bathroom, which makes it easy to host without losing your privacy.

A marble staircase continues to the second floor, about 320 m², where a double salon is warmed by a fireplace and crowned by a frescoed coffered ceiling more than four metres high. Three double bedrooms, two bathrooms, a laundry room and two terraces complete the floor.

The ground floor extends for more than 400 m² and is made for living well. It has a large taverna with games room, a covered heated swimming pool and a sauna with its own facilities, so you can swim and unwind in every season.

PARK AND DEPENDANCE

Outside, the private garden is full of period details: a garden arbour made for summer reading, a picturesque dovecote and several vintage greenhouses for anyone with a botanical passion.

The fully restored dependance includes a garage and a separate upper-floor apartment of about 250 m², originally the caretaker's home. It is ideal for family or long-stay guests, or as a quiet space for a live-in assistant. A double garage is included in the price, and there is an additional outdoor parking space.

CONDITION AND POTENTIAL

The interiors are in good structural and decorative condition. The exteriors and façades would benefit from a sympathetic restoration, so a new owner can put their own stamp on the villa's historic character.

LOCATION AND CONNECTIONS

The centre of Reggio Emilia is 10 minutes away. The Mediopadana high-speed rail station is 5 minutes away, with Milan about 45 minutes by train and Rome about 2 hours 15 minutes. The A1 motorway toll booth is 7 minutes away. By car, Parma is 30 minutes, Modena 35, Bologna 50 and Milan 1 hour 30. The airports of Parma and Bologna are 30 and 45 minutes away respectively, and Milan Linate is about 1 hour 20 minutes.

KEY FACTS

Villa, 3 floors | approx. 2,000 m² | 20 rooms, 12 bathrooms | built in the 1700s | indoor heated pool, sauna, air conditioning | private garden, cellar, built-in wardrobes | terraces and balcony | autonomous gas heating | double garage included | good condition (exteriors to be refreshed)

Price excludes buyers commission at 5%