Part of the luxurious Lake Como villa made famous by Casino Royale has just hit the market through Italy Sotheby’s International Realty, offering 007 fans and others a rare chance to own a piece of history tied to fiction’s most famous spy.
For the “modest” sum of between €1.2 million and €1.4 million, you could become the proud owner of a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in the prestigious Villa La Gaeta, which overlooks one of Italy’s finest lakes.
The villa provided the spectacular setting for the final scene of the 2006 film, marking Daniel Craig’s debut as 007. After tracking down the mysterious Mr White, Bond shoots him in the leg before walking up the steps of the front porch and delivering the now iconic, “The name’s Bond. James Bond.”
Built in 1921, Villa La Gaeta was designed by the Coppedè brothers, Florentine architects and designers from a family of decorators and woodcarvers. The result is a blend of Gothic Revival and Art Nouveau styles, complete with a turret.
The apartment is not in the turreted main building seen in the film, but in the south-facing annexe, itself the original 19th-century villa on the estate. Spanning 121 square metres across two levels, it is sun-soaked and bright.
Upstairs, the living room opens onto a terrace and there is also a kitchen, a double bedroom and a bathroom. Downstairs there is a second double bedroom with its own en-suite, as well as an additional room that could be used as a study or dressing room, which opens directly onto the villa’s marina basin. One can only hope the bedrooms come with the enormous, immaculately made beds that seem to be another staple of the Bond universe.
@thisonesnice 2 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms | 121 sq m 📍 Villa "La Gaeta", Lake Como, Italy You know you want this already. Can you imagine the outfits you would wear here? You would probably have to treat yourself to an entirely new wardrobe for this life I reckon. The Italians don't play around when it comes to fashion after all. It goes without saying that you'll also need one of those old fashioned speed boats. The wooden ones with a little wind screen. You know the sort. And once you've got that sorted, you can get stuck in to the finest wines available to humanity and several metric tonnes of olives. Tell me you don't want that life. #lakecomo #jamesbond ♬ original sound – Tom Fitzgerald
In true Bond style, the property comes with two storage cellars, two parking spaces – enough to start an Aston Martin collection – and its own designated boat mooring. Owners also have access to the villa’s park, swimming pool and private beach, where they can take a dip in Lake Como.
Glamorous surroundings, boats, fast cars, casinos and a hint of espionage are all integral to the world Fleming created, some of which has its roots in his own experience at another casino.
In 1941, while working for British Naval Intelligence, Ian Fleming stayed at the Hotel Palácio in Estoril, Portugal, and frequented the nearby casino. Wartime Estoril was a playground for spies from both Allied and Axis powers, and the intrigue Fleming encountered there, combined with his own adventures at the tables, is believed to have helped inspire the world of Casino Royale and its pivotal gambling scene.
So, you may not get a licence to kill for €1.2–1.4 million, but you can at least own a piece of Bond history.
