From Berlusconi to Sheikh Al Thani: Villa Certosa changes hands and perhaps even its skin.

An era has ended in Porto Rotondo: Villa Certosa, the residence that once served as a branch of institutional headquarters, is passing from the Berlusconi family to the sovereigns of Qatar , who already own the heart of the Costa Smeralda.

Immobiliare Idra, a Fininvest group company, "confirms that it has accepted a binding offer from a foreign entity for the sale of Villa Certosa." This was stated by a Fininvest spokesperson regarding the sale to Constellation Hotels Holding, a Luxembourg-based investment company and the real estate arm of the Qatari Al Thani family, primarily Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim. The transfer price has reportedly been set at €350 million.

Villa Certosa extends over 4,500 square meters, has 126 rooms, a 120-hectare park, and, among other features, seven swimming pools. It has been used to host heads of state and government, so much so that on May 6, 2004, a decree designated it as an "alternative, maximum-security headquarters for the safety of the Prime Minister." Overlooking the Gulf of Marinella, Berlusconi purchased it in the late 1980s from Sardinian entrepreneur Gianni Onorato, and its transformation into the princely residence we see today was entrusted to architect Gianni Gamondi.

The transfer to the Qatari company opens up several scenarios for the future of the villa, which could also be used as a luxury hospitality destination.