The Castello di Santa Eurasia is a former castle on Monte Tezio near Ponte Pattoli in Umbria, Italy. It was built in the 15th century and is owned by the Russian billionaire businessman and former KGB spy Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny.[1] The Lebedevs have hosted numerous parties at the house, and visitors have included prominent politicians and celebrities, including the former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The villa has been monitored by Italian intelligence agencies over concerns that it has been used for espionage purposes. Lebedev also owns the nearby Palazzo Terranova.
Location
editThe castle was known as Castello di Procopio, and was renamed Castello di Santa Eurasia by Evgeny Lebedev.[2] It is located prominently on the mountain, Monte Tezio, near Ponte Pattoli.[2] The building dates from the 15th century.[2] It has portcullis gates, and is 30,000 sq ft in size.[2]
Interior and renovation
editThe house was decorated by Martyn Lawrence Bullard during 2011 at a cost of €10 million.[2][3] Bullard said that Evgeny Lebedev had instructed him to create an interior that was "layered" and looked as if the castle and its possessions had been accumulated over many years and that the " ... driving force was his passion for the area — we spent weekends touring nearby castles and palazzos".[2]
Architect Domenico Minchilli renovated the structure of the castle over two years, rebuilding walls and removing rubble. The facade of the castle has remained unaltered. The house has seven guest suites set over three floors with a large principal suite. It also features a gym, hammam and a spa. An emerald oblong pool is situated amidst gardens of jasmine and lavender.[2] The castle has handmade furniture and ironwork with hand painted wooden ceilings.[2] Notable furniture and objet d'art include "17th-century Flemish fireplaces, religious art — including a complete series of the Stations of the Cross, which sombrely adorns one stairwell — 18th-century banqueting tables and armoires, and Peruvian monks' chairs".[2] Individual suites include the Cardinal's Suite, the Corona Room, the Icon Room and the Infanta Suite.[2]
The chapel of the castle is dedicated to Santa Eurasia.[2]
Notable guests
editThe castle has been visited by many celebrities since its acquisition by the Lebedevs, including Elton John and David Furnish, Keira Knightley and James Righton and Stephen Fry and Ian Mckellen. Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley have stayed at the castle on separate occasions. Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka married at the castle. The former prime minister Tony Blair and the politician Peter Mandelson have also visited the castle during the Lebedev's ownership.[1]
The former British prime minister Boris Johnson has visited the castle on several occasions. The journalist and editor Sarah Sands was responsible for bringing Johnson to the castle and the Palazzo Terranova during her tenure as editor of the Evening Standard, a newspaper owned by the Lebedevs.[4] She wrote about her visits with Johnson to the castle in her 2021 memoir of her search for the monastic life, The Interior Silence. Sands said that she once saw a dishevelled Johnson chasing Evgeny Lebedev's wolf, Boris, who had eaten the dongle for Johnson's computer.[4] Sands wrote upon arrival at the castle they would "[prepare] for a weekend of medieval splendour; feasting, dancing, boar hunting".[4]
Russians are discouraged from staying at the castle due to an alleged occasion when a party of Russians "trashed" the Palazzo Terranova.[2]
The journalist Emma Wells visited and profiled the renovated castle in a 2014 article in The Times.[2] She concluded that "No doubt a purist would find much to scoff at. The son of an oligarch, [Evgeny] Lebedev is, after all, known for his penchant for white silk suits, his wolfdog and for being his own favourite foreign correspondent. But this is no bling billionaire’s home — more the palace of a modern Machiavellian prince".[2] She also wrote that " ... what could have easily turned into a Disney version of a medieval castle is instead a treasure trove of craftsmanship and exquisite art, with enough damask upholstered walls and one-off pieces to make a Borgia blush".[2]
Italian espionage report
editThe Castello di Santa Eurasia and the Palazzo Terranova, also owned by the Lebedevs, have been monitored by Italian intelligence agencies over concerns that they have been used as for espionage purposes.[5] A secret report by Italian security services for Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte "queried whether [Alexander Lebedev] had genuinely severed ties with Russian intelligence after leaving the KGB decades earlier" and also said that his resignation from the KGB was "considered by many to be unclear".[5]
The Italian parliamentarian Lia Quartapelle said that "Clearly from the report, it stands out that the properties were part and tool of a network of relationships. They were part and tool of a strategy of influence. And so it was noticed who was there, how many times people went there and so on".[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Yorke, Harry; Pogrund, Gabriel; Unwin, Rosamunde (12 March 2022). "How Boris Johnson's friendship with Evgeny Lebedev deepened despite MI6 concerns". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Wells, Emma (28 September 2014). "Welcome to my den: Inside Evgeny Lebedev's Italian castle". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ Blakely, Rhys (10 September 2011). "Who Does Sir Elton John Call when He Wants a New Bedroom?". The Times. No. 70361. p. 301. Archived from the original on 10 September 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ^ a b c Sands, Sarah (2021). "2. Self denial and nature: Francis of Assisi". The Interior Silence. Hachette. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-78072-455-3. Archived from the original on 2023-08-30. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
- ^ a b c Crerar, Pippa; Harding, Luke (26 June 2023). "Italy 'was monitoring Lebedev villa at time of Boris Johnson visit'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.