And it’s all in Serra, where one of the most expensive properties in the province of Valencia has just gone on the market…
If you’re looking for a property outside the city, look no further. Only, this one is going to set you back a hefty 6 million.
Well-known historic properties are not often sold, but when this happens it generally creates a great deal of interest. One of these properties has recently found its way into the stock of the real estate agency Engels & Völkers: a farmhouse in Serra, a property formerly part of the Porta Coeli Monastery. Valued at €6m, it is one of the most expensive properties on offer in the Province of Valencia, and probably the most famous.
It is an old Carthusian farm, separated from the monastery at the beginning of the 19th century. It has been in the possession of a well-known Valencian family (whose identity has not been revealed) for three generations.
There’s so much history involved here. Cartuja de Porta Coeli is a functioning Carthusian monastery located on a rural site in the Serra area, some 40 minutes’ drive north of Valencia, a little inland from Sagunto. The monastery itself was founded in 1272 under the patronage of Andrés Albalat, Bishop of Valencia and confessor of James I of Aragon. One of the most prominent people living here was Father Bonifacio Ferrer (1402–1410), the brother of Saint Vincent Ferrer. This is the place where arguably the most important work in Valencian literature, the Valencian Bible, was translated.
As a victim of the fiscal reforms imposed by Spanish Finance Minister Juan Mendizábal, the monastery was confiscated in 1835, along with many other church properties, and sold at auction. The monastery became a hospital for tuberculosis patients in 1898. After the Civil War, it served as a concentration camp for the Franco regime and was bought by the provincial council in 1943. Very soon after, the monks returned and have been staying here until today. It is one of the only three Carthusian monasteries in Spain.
The property for sale used to be one of two country houses belonging to the monastery, called La Torre (The Tower). This is the birthplace of the famous Porta Coeli Carthusian wine. The donation of 44,000 vines in the 18th century gave rise to Carthusian wine. At that time, the vineyard itself was known as the best in the Kingdom. Its famous Gothic cellars, the Mudéjar style tower with a sundial, and 12 hectares of orange and olive trees, still remind us today of those glorious times.
The property for sale measures 500 square metres on three floors with terraces, patios, barbecue, swimming pool, gym, games area, stables and clay pigeon shooting platform. It comes with its own oil mill, irrigation reservoir, well, surveillance cameras, fortified walls, and enough technology to make the next Bond movie viable for shooting here. The farm is closed to visitors but is used for exclusive functions and weddings.
The main house has 11 bedrooms, six bathrooms and is situated on a 12-hectare estate of orange and olive trees. The house was originally built in 1614.
It’s unlikely that a property of this type will be sold to someone who needs to get a mortgage first. This is a property that is likely to suit some of the foreign investment funds operating in Spain, or perhaps celebrities. It was recently announced that Johnny Depp is selling his French village in Provence and looking for new alternatives. With his love of wine, perhaps we’ll soon be reading about Gilbert’s grapes…
© History, Wine, Maybe The Next James Bond Movie Set? – TheValencian
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