Maryland isn’t known for its similarity to the Italian countryside. But amidst 10 acres of rolling countryside near the southern edge of the state, an imposing palazzo commands a hilltop view, creating a highly convincing version of Tuscany on the Potomac River.
It is ancient with towers, turrets, campanile and a cascade of red-pantiled outbuildings added sporadically in the traditional manner of generational continuity, from what looks like the 17th century on. Except it was built just 17 years ago.
In fact, scratch that 400-year-old “origin story”. Not old enough. In a hidden corner of the garden, you’ll find what appear to be the ruins of an Etruscan temple—i.e. from around 5 BCE. The more you wander around these sculpted grounds, lined with soaring Italianate cypresses, the more utterly extraordinary this property becomes.
A passion project of Italophiles Greg and JaLynn Prince, who longed to live in that imperial land but built this house instead, just 25 miles from Washington DC, Albero del Segnale is no amateur pastiche. The Princes seem to have singlehandedly bolstered the international architectural salvage industry, as well as several local quarries, by their resolve to place authenticity at the core of their venture.
High artisan craftsmanship is evident around every corner. Reclaimed terracotta, cobblestones, massive masonry and those ubiquitous patterned red rooftops—every element speaks of a different age and the patina of time.
Inside, the 300-year-old tiled floor on the main level mirrors the pattern the Princes found in a Roman church one day, replete with the fingerprints (and an animal’s paw prints) of long-ago makers. A calm collocation of natural stone and muted plaster walls leads along colonnades and through arches into a variety of airy living spaces. Venetian stencils and wrought-iron balustrades, cabinetry carved from antique timber, faded and buffed, are found behind hand-worked solid wood doors hung heavy with ornate ironmongery.
For the record, there are eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, spaces designed for relaxation and reflection—Turkish baths, indoor pool, two-story library, a sunroom called The Temple. There’s a balconied upper loggia that could hold half the Roman senate. The kitchen looks like the resident nonna just stepped out to the bread oven (though the actual cooking appliances would please any professional chef.)
The property is the largest in Montgomery County. In all, the interiors extend practically to civic proportions, covering 27,000 square feet across the property’s multiple buildings. And this fits perfectly the Princes’ second passion, which led them to create not just a home for themselves but a performance venue for the arts.
Over the years, according to JaLynn Prince, some 23,000 people have visited, attending fund-raisers, orchestral concerts, art exhibitions, dance performances… “We built it as a residence with an arts center in mind,” she says. “It’s comfortable as a residence, magnificent for the arts.”
The Princes are proud of the philanthropic legacy they have created with their custom home, one she hopes will now pass on to a new family or community organization.
Albero del Segnale is on the market for $10,995,000 with listing agent Megan Thiel of Long & Foster Real Estate, a member of Forbes Global Properties, the invitation-only network of top-tier brokerages worldwide and the exclusive real estate partner of Forbes.
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