Tuscan Villa Near Lucca Once Owned by Napoleon’s Sister Hits the Market
In the hills outside Lucca, one of Tuscany’s grand historic estates has come to market through Lionard Luxury Real Estate, offering a provenance few properties can match. Price is disclosed upon application with the listing agency.
Known as Villa Orsucci, the 18th-century residence was acquired in 1836 by Caroline Bonaparte —Napoleon Bonaparte’s younger sister and Queen Consort of Naples—cementing the villa’s direct royal lineage.
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The estate traces its origins to the 16th century but was transformed in the early 1700s by silk merchant Coriolano Orsucci, who invited Filippo Juvarra—renowned Baroque architect of Turin’s Basilica of Superga and the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi (Stupinigi Hunting Lodge) for the Savoy dynasty—to redesign and expand the property. Only parts of his vision were realized; Juvarra’s full Baroque plans for a monumental portal and ornate gardens were never executed due to Orsucci’s death, leaving the villa as a Lucchese country residence distinguished by Baroque elements rather than a complete Baroque composition.
In 1836, the villa passed into the hands of Caroline Bonaparte. By then, Napoleon himself had been dead for 15 years, exiled to St. Helena after Waterloo in 1815. Caroline, who had reigned in Naples alongside her husband Joachim Murat, returned to Italy following the collapse of the empire and lived between Florence and the Tuscan countryside.
Napoleon is often said to have remarked of his sister, “Of all my family, she is the one that resembles me the most.”
Securing Villa Orsucci in her final years underscored the Bonaparte family’s enduring presence in Italy, even after their fall from imperial power—a legacy that continues to resonate in today’s market.
Today, the villa spans more than 2,500 square meters (≈26,900 sq ft) across three principal floors, an attic, and a basement. Its centerpiece is a double-height salon—measuring 125 square meters (≈1,345 square feet) and rising 8 meters (≈26 feet) high—the largest among Lucca’s villas, decorated with elaborate stuccos and two monumental canvases by Pier Dandini, a leading Florentine Baroque painter active in the late 17th and early 18th century.
Period-furnished reception halls, the celebrated red room with silk-covered walls, restored historic kitchens, and a vaulted wine cellar reinforce the villa’s standing as a preserved cultural landmark. Beyond the main residence, the estate includes a five-bedroom guesthouse, a private 18th-century chapel, and a 200-square-meter (≈2,153-square-foot) lemon house that shelters more than 100 citrus trees each winter and doubles as an event venue.
The grounds extend across six hectares (≈14.8 acres) of parkland, olive groves, and meadows, lined with centuries-old vegetation, boxwood hedges, and terracotta statues. Two swimming pools are operational, a third is approved, and a heliport can be added.
The estate is located above 20 miles from Pisa International Airport and just a few miles from Lucca-Tassignano Airport, which services private aviation.
For Lionard founder and CEO Dimitri Corti, the estate represents more than a rare Tuscan villa. “The global market is no longer just looking for luxury; it’s looking for unique pieces of history, and Villa Orsucci is exactly that,” Corti said. “The buyer isn’t just acquiring walls and frescoes; they are taking ownership of the last available chapter of a legend…an investment in an eternal brand: Napoleon Bonaparte.”
That framing resonates beyond Tuscany. An auction earlier this year of more than 100 Napoleonic objects—including one of his iconic bicorn hats—brought in roughly €8.7 million against estimates of €6–7 million decisively beating expectations. More than two centuries after Waterloo, interest in Napoleon and his circle is only gaining momentum—and Villa Orsucci, secured by his sister Caroline in her final years, sits firmly within that trajectory.
All images courtesy of Lionard Luxury Real Estate.
