Former Italian embassy turned six-bedroom mansion comes to market for £21.5 million

The six-bedroom property offers ample living space across 7,948 sq ft and boasts a cinema room, fitness studio and underground parking

By Stephanie Bridger-Linning

Interior of a townhouse-mansion in Belgravia that was once the Italian embassy — One of the reception rooms in the property on Lygon Place, the former Italian embassy / Image: Beauchamp Estates

A Grade II-listed Belgravia mansion that was once the Italian embassy has come to market for £21.5 million.

The six-bedroom property offers ample living space across 7,948 sq ft and boasts a cinema room, fitness studio and underground parking.

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Rosy Khalastchy, director at Beauchamp Estates, the sole selling agent, noted central London has witnessed a £3 billion sale of former embassies and other diplomatic buildings over the last 20 years.

‘After the Second World War, diplomatic missions in London owned large portfolios of expensive property in some of the city’s best addresses,’ she explains. ‘Over the last 20 years countries have realised they are sitting on a property ‘gold mine’, which is why gradually the diplomatic estates have been sold off. Over 20 diplomatic buildings have been converted into new homes over the past two decades in locations including Mayfair, Belgravia and Marylebone.’

The former Canadian High Commission in Mayfair is now One Grosvenor Square, a landmark residential scheme by Indian developer Lodha. Meanwhile, the former US Naval Building was converted to Twenty Grosvenor Square, A Four Seasons Residence. The former US embassy in Grosvenor Square is set to become a new Rosewood Hotel.

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There are also examples of these diplomatic buildings becoming single-dwelling homes: the former Brazilian embassy on Green Street in Mayfair was sold for a reported £40 million, and is now a mansion owned by the Qatari Royal Family.

The former Italian embassy on Lygon Place was built at the turn of the 20th-century in the Arts and Crafts style, with a red-brick façade with Portland stone bay windows, ornate pediment and gabled roofline.

It was acquired by the Italian government in the early 1920s and served as the embassy before being converted into a residence for entertaining VIPs, including members of the aristocracy and the royal family. The property later became the Office of the Italian Defence Attaché.

The sprawling townhouse-mansion was transformed into a private home between 2009-11 and has only had one private owner. It is now available for sale on the open market for the first time in 100 years.

Charles Lloyd, head of Beauchamp Estates (Mayfair & Belgravia) says: ‘During its time as an embassy residence this illustrious townhouse-mansion was visited by notable guests from the pages of history including Diana Mitford, Lloyd George and Wallis Simpson. Well presented and immaculately maintained it provides a discerning buyer with an outstanding opportunity to acquire a luxurious turn-key residence in sought after Belgravia.’