An abandoned 16th-century monastery in Italy was transformed into a $5 million mansion with sprawling gardens — take a look

Holly Lueders and her daughter, Venetia Sacret Young, have renovated numerous historic properties together. This particular project, the renovation of Convento di San Francesco, was led by Sacret Young, and completed with the help of her mother.

"Before finding this property, we searched all over Italy for about three years," Lueders told Insider.

They first saw the abandoned building, which is located in Pitigliano, Tuscany, in 2006.

"When we saw this, the second we were in front of it, we both knew it had a lot of potential," Lueders said. "The magic was still there," she continued. "It had never been touched or restored." 

Take a look inside the gorgeous home and its surrounding gardens, now on the market for $5.5 million, according to its Knight Frank listing.

"We knew it was something special, but we didn't know how special it was until we discovered that the whole compound was designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger," Lueders said.

Da Sangallo lived from 1484 to 1546 and, according to Britannica, was the "most influential architect of his time," designing properties including the Palazzo Farnese in Rome.

"We found the drawings [of his plans for the property] in the archives at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence," Lueders said.

One of the most unique features of da Sangallo's monastery is its underground cantina, where wine is stored two stories below ground level.

The dining room, which is now arranged to seat up to 20 people, was where the monks fermented their wine, according to the property's website.

The kitchen has also been modernized, with two refrigerators, a six-burner gas stove, an oven, and a dishwasher.

The fire started when lightning struck the church attached to the house, according to Lueders.

One of their favorite features of the mansion are its vaulted ceilings.

"Even though the rooms are not extremely large, the vaulted ceilings make you feel like the room has a presence of a large room," Sacret Young told Insider.

"My theory of decoration is that every room should be filled with as many places as possible for people to lie down," Lueders told House & Garden in 2021.

This drawing room contains a fireplace, a silk velvet sofa, and a wall filled with prints depicting Franciscan monks.

"You lie in the bathtub and you stare at the ceiling," Sacret Young said. "You have a lot of time to just contemplate all the details."

In total, there are 10 bedrooms and eight bathrooms, according to the listing.

"Even if you know its going to be difficult, nothing truly prepares you for how difficult its going to be," Sacret Young said, adding that, in her experience, dealing with Italian bureaucracy took patience. 

"You need to have important people on your side, you need to have time," added Lueders, in regards to the process of obtaining permits.

In the end, the renovations took more than a decade.

"We completely dove into the landscape," Lueders added.

The property's land spans 26 acres, including 13 acres of woodland, according to the listing.

The 18-meter-long (almost 60-foot-long) saltwater lap pool is surrounded by greenery.

The staircase leads to the second floor, which contains a hallway lined with bedrooms and bathrooms. 

Sacret Young told Insider that among the plants they grew on the property were thousands of trees, hundreds of roses, and a sprawling lavender garden.

"If anyone came today, they'd think, 'This garden has been there for several hundred years,'" she said. "You'd never guess was assembled quite recently."

The home is listed with Douglas Elliman and Knight Frank.