Villa with pool and terrace Ronda (Spain) Price: $ 4,240,300 USD

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Surface 800 m² Bedrooms 9  Bathrooms 7  Land 13.8 ha

In the hills, not far from Ronda, lies a house that has been a labor of love for over 40 years. ~~Argentine architect Mario Connio discovered it while staying in Marbella with a friend whose father owned a nearby house in southern Andalusia. Succumbing to love at first sight, she bought the abandoned farm from an order of nuns and has been developing and perfecting it ever since. ~~Mario has worked as an architect in Europe since the seventies. His main house is in Madrid and he has another in Buenos Aires, but now he spends six or seven months a year at the farmhouse.~~The 30-acre site immediately inspired a vision of possibilities for Mario. There were Italian and Spanish walnut trees, as well as walnuts, mulberry, olive and almond trees. Thirty years ago, he began adding to this mix, which now includes pistachios and holm oaks, whose acorns are fed to native black Iberian pigs, known for their ham. ~~Today, around 200 liters of Arriate olive oil are pressed on the property each year and up to 2,000 kilograms of almonds are harvested.~~The traditional Andalusian farm originally had one floor, and Mario has added a pyramid-shaped glass roof over a previously open central courtyard. This has been converted into a covered inner courtyard that allows light into the heart of the house, with a terracotta tiled floor dotted with potted ferns. From here, the kitchen and dining room lead to one side and two bedrooms to the other. In a straight line, a long living room extends across the back of the house. This last space has many windows and beautiful views towards the valley. The interior décor here and throughout the house is relaxed and reflects much of what Mario has seen and tasted on his travels. He has a particular interest in textiles, as evidenced by the happy contrasts of stripes and indigo, as well as Indian, African and Argentine designs. Similarly, the furniture and lighting have been collected over time from around the world, while the many paintings are of friends or are family portraits. Such elements stand out against the white walls and sky blue ceilings. ~Elsewhere, in the dining room and kitchen, the walls and old ceiling beams have been painted a new shade of green, as if to reference the green gardens.~~From the living room, French windows lead to a loggia, which, like the rest of the exterior of the house, is painted a deep sky blue. Sitting there in the shade, you can see the house reflected in a shallow pool that surrounds it on three sides. Its waters have flowed for 40 years, inspired by the great eighth-century Arab gardeners of the Generalife gardens of the Alhambra, for whom fountains and running water were so essential.~~Other dwellings have been torn from three agricultural buildings. The caretaker Belén, and her mechanic husband Carlos occupy one, while another (where there was an old bread oven) is now a comfortable guest accommodation. ~Mario has turned the final dependency into his own room, with his bedroom, office and private living room, shared with his four adorable dogs.~~Aware of the extremes of Andalusian winters and summers, Mario wanted to be able to control heat, light and shade. There are open fireplaces in all rooms, while the exterior of the windows are equipped with locally made wooden shutters. These are kept low all day in summer to keep the house cool and produce a wonderful effect of sunlight filtering into the dark rooms. ~~Each room has its own terrace, with a pergola, which is shaded in summer by a cover of wisteria, honeysuckle, bignonia and jasmine. In winter, everyone except honeysuckle loses its leaves, allowing light to enter the rooms once again.~~Outside, the garden paths are made of individually laid cobblestones that were collected from the surrounding country or local rivers. It completes the feel of a long-established property. ~Instead of steps, the terraces are connected by ramps, which Mario considers more fluid, a view enthusiastically supported by his gardener, especially when working with his wheelbarrow. Beyond the lush wisteria extend the plants that are so characteristic of the region. ~~What a wonderful place to escape.