This Palatial Italian Renaissance-Style Estate in South Florida Can Be Yours for $60 Million
Listed for $60 million, Mar Pietra, which means “stone of the sea” in Italian, is one of the most expensive and glamorous estates in Delray Beach, Florida.
The home’s optical mogul owner, Massimo Musa, is the co-founder of My Eyelab, the Lasik Vision Institute, Eyeglass World, and Stanton Optical. For Mar Pietra, Musa, who is from Italy, was inspired by the architecture of Italian Renaissance palazzos, as well as his global travels and South Florida vernacular architecture.
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To bring his singular vision to life, he tapped renowned South Florida-based architect Randall Stofft to design the home’s incredible architecture and British designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard to do up the interiors with his usual flamboyance and flair. The lavishly appointed home was completed in 2008 after a strenuous five-year build, resulting in a 23,136-square-foot megamansion with nine bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, plus seven lavish powder rooms, spread across three levels. A secondary residence with three bedrooms and three bathrooms in about 2,700 square feet provides plenty of space and privacy for guests or staff.
Oozing with opulence at every turn, the home is a true work of art brought to life with an army of expert craftspeople and an array of rare materials sourced from around the world. More than $5 million was spent on all-natural limestone from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula; Portoro black marble was imported from Italy; and the wood paneling was created with Colombian cedar. There are limestone floors and columns, marble fireplaces, an onyx bar, and elaborate hand-carved ceilings and moldings. The Venetian plasterwork was executed by Italian artisans.
Musa’s grab bag of inspirations included the Sistine Chapel, the work of architect Addison Mizner, who designed some of the most elegant and impressive homes in Palm Beach, and, for Mar Pietra’s arrival courtyard, the legendary Vizcaya Gardens estate in Coconut Grove.
“He wanted to create something that was really extraordinary and inspired by different places that he had visited during his travels,” says listing agent Senada Adžem of Douglas Elliman. “He wanted to create a legacy home that is going to be a trophy estate, but something that really is very meaningful and special to him. He used this as his primary residence, so he spent a lot of time, effort, and energy to design something that was very unique.”
Located in what is called Delray Beach’s ‘Gold Coast,’ Mar Pietra is set behind gates and is fronted by a beautifully landscaped courtyard with a fountain and a porte cochère, the latter featuring hand-carved eagles and shell rock. The porte cochère was designed by the restorer of the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach. Inside, the foyer features double-height ceilings and a jaw-dropping butterfly staircase. Archways lead to the main living space, with an intricately carved coffered wood ceiling.
Elsewhere, the two-story library showcases a hand-carved Portoro marble fireplace and a frescoed ceiling inspired by the Sistine Chapel, and the billiards room sports Colombian cedar wood paneling with custom inlay and a sculpture by the Italian Rennaissance artist Giambologna. The primary bedroom, overlooking the ocean, encompasses an entry vestibule, a spacious bedroom, ample closet space, and an immaculate bathroom lined in onyx and marble.
Attention to detail and craftsmanship were paramount. “For example, every single column is solid limestone—not precast,” Adžem tells Robb Report. “You know how nowadays, of course, people try to save money and everything and precast columns? Not here. Everything is truly authentic.”
Other creature comforts include a state-of-the-art gym, a clubroom-style movie theater, a wine room, a game room, and a car gallery and lounge that holds up to 13 vehicles.
The grounds are a tropical oasis, with lush plantings, a resort-style pool, spa, several water features, and bespoke mosaic tiling. A broad stretch of lawn between the pool and the beach doubles as a helicopter landing pad.
Set on just over an acre of oceanfront land that’s about 22 feet above sea level, the estate presides over 100 feet of much-coveted direct beach frontage. Those looking for seclusion and exclusivity will appreciate Mar Pietra’s multi-camera security system, electronic gates, and privacy walls.
Click here for more photos of Mar Pietra.
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