News
Mirren snaps up delectable Italian abode
04 April 2007
After flying the Union Jack at a series of ceremonies as an icon of Britishness in recent months, Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren is ready for pastures new
and what better swap for windy England than southern Italy.
The Dame of the realm is rumoured to have bought a majestic 16th century home in the Puglia region for £690,000.
The villa is currently in a state of disrepair, allowing the actress free reign to transform the spot into her dream home.
A stone's throw from the sun-spattered Mediterranean, the estate boasts high ramparts to preserve the star's privacy and a vineyard to satisfy guests' thirst.
Dame Helen bought the tumbledown house after she discovered it when she came to collect an award at the local film festival.
The 61-year-old and producer husband Taylor Hackford were greeted by villagers in nearby Tiggiano last week with the gift of a cake bearing her image.
If Dame Helen felt a mite narcissistic eating the cake, she can soon indulge in more traditional Italian offerings, since the region is famed for slow-cooked, homemade dishes including orecchiette pasta, lamb with rosemary, fresh figs, and grains.
© Adfero Ltd
The Dame of the realm is rumoured to have bought a majestic 16th century home in the Puglia region for £690,000.
The villa is currently in a state of disrepair, allowing the actress free reign to transform the spot into her dream home.
A stone's throw from the sun-spattered Mediterranean, the estate boasts high ramparts to preserve the star's privacy and a vineyard to satisfy guests' thirst.
Dame Helen bought the tumbledown house after she discovered it when she came to collect an award at the local film festival.
The 61-year-old and producer husband Taylor Hackford were greeted by villagers in nearby Tiggiano last week with the gift of a cake bearing her image.
If Dame Helen felt a mite narcissistic eating the cake, she can soon indulge in more traditional Italian offerings, since the region is famed for slow-cooked, homemade dishes including orecchiette pasta, lamb with rosemary, fresh figs, and grains.
© Adfero Ltd
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