You may be wondering what can $49M dollars buy you these days? Or maybe you’re thinking, what kind of a home is worth $49M? Well to former NFL great Joe Montana, this 500 acre ranch in the wine country of Calistoga gave him the sought after Italian lifestyle he desired, without having to move there (which his longtime friend and former teammate Ronnie Lott stated was a move he had considered). This private retreat, also called Villa Montana, is so large it actually extends into both Napa and Sonoma counties.
The Tuscan villa-style mansion took 3 years to build and is definitely not lacking in detail. The 9700 sq ft mansion includes a bell tower, pizza oven, numerous hidden flat-screen TV’s, and even a beer tap. The Montana’s also purchased and imported a lot of the items in their home from Europe. Some of those items include a hanging tapestry in the great room that has 22 ft high ceilings, a Montana family crest that was painted by a French artist is hung over a beautiful marble fireplace, tall 16th century iron gates guard the gallery, and a marble bathtub that was so heavy it needed to be moved in by crane. There is also a 45 ft deep pond with a man made white sand beach around it that is stocked with bass, “But the fish are local”, says Montana during an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
Montana also enjoys horse back riding in his equestrian stable with indoor arena and 17 horse stalls, each one with its own heat lamp, fan and video camera. Horse riding trails also run throughout the property; plus there is a swimming pool, basketball court, skeet shooting range and outdoor gym which is a separate building from the house. The former 49er and 4 time Super Bowl champ has covered his gym walls with Sports Illustrated covers, framed photos, and 3 Super Bowl MVP trophies.
The Montana’s first put the property on the market back in November 2009, and are still waiting for right buyer who is willing and able to pay this luxury price. The couple is currently residing in Thousand Oaks, CA, which is about 400 miles south of this 500 acre Villa. They wanted to be closer to their two sons who also are playing football, so that Montana can attend and be apart of their practices and games. Their oldest son, Nathaniel plays quarterback at Notre Dame, and the youngest, Nicholas, just started at the University of Washington.
Click here for more photos and details about the home.
