This historic $26 million Italian villa has been converted into a chic ski chalet – Robb Report

Savills

Why rent a house when you can own the most expensive chalet in the Italian Alps?

La Fenice, an idyllic ski resort overlooking the Matterhorn in Cervinia, was recently put on the market for an astonishing 24 million euros (about $26.4 million), Bloomberg reported. The stone chalet, which means “phoenix” in Italian, is a renovated abandoned villa from the 1930s that owner Savills said was frequented by the Italian royal family.

Today, this snowy mansion boasts its own brand of sophisticated alpine chic. For starters, this swanky property measures approximately 13,000 square feet and features his seven en-suite bedrooms spread over six floors. Other notable features of this stately property include an outdoor spa, ski slope, helipad, and elevator for easy access to the surrounding slopes.

Renovating the Teatro La Fenice, located approximately 330 feet above the village, was a difficult project that took about five years. The seller, John Harrison, a former partner and chief operating officer at London-based investment firm Amplitude Capital, bought the mountainside property 11 years ago, according to Bloomberg.

Shortly thereafter, he enlisted a local Italian architect specializing in high-altitude architecture to help with a long-term renovation project that included carving into the side of the mountain to create enough space for a 10-metre indoor swimming pool. I requested it. “We had two options: build a smaller chalet, which would probably be more sensible for families, or raise the bar and do something different,” Harrison told Bloomberg told. “We chose the latter.”

In addition to the pool, the chalet features several balconies, a fully equipped fitness center, a private cinema with three-tier seating, and a spacious wine cellar. The piece de résistance is an atrium adorned with sparkling Swarovski crystal chandeliers.

For years, Harrison has rented out the winter oasis to wealthy vacationers on “exclusive rentals.” Most recently, having the Teatro La Fenice all to yourself for six nights in December cost a whopping 65,000 euros (about $71,156).

“We’re one of the few chalets built in an Italian ski resort, so we don’t have anything to benchmark against,” Harrison told Bloomberg. “When you think of a chalet, you think of Switzerland or France, not Italy, so we broke that mold.”

Click here to see all photos of Chalet La Fenice.