Santa Cristina, the Swarovski family's private island, for sale at €24 million in the Venice lagoon

According to CNN (10 June 2026), Santa Cristina, a 29.4 hectare private island at the northern end of the Venice lagoon, is on the market for €24 million through Venice Sotheby’s International Realty. It is the first time the island has been offered in more than four decades.

The property belonged to Gernot Langes-Swarovski, the Austrian entrepreneur and great-grandson of Daniel Swarovski, founder of the crystal house. After his death in 2021, ownership passed to the heirs’ foundation, SEGNAL Privatstiftung, which is now entrusting the island to a new owner.

A whole island, not a share of one

Twenty-nine hectares. A villa with nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms. A dining room for fifteen. A heated saltwater pool, a boat house, a restored farmhouse, a chapel, a yoga room. Santa Cristina does not compare to a flat. It is owned like a territory.

Access takes twenty minutes by boat from Venice. A helipad links the island to Marco Polo airport in minutes. The boat house holds up to ten vessels, five of them included in the sale.

A domain that sustains itself

The island produces its own wine, the Ammiana, reserved for the owner and guests and sometimes given as a gift. Add an olive grove, an orchard of apricot and plum trees, a vegetable garden, beehives and a lagoon honey. A technical centre manages water and electricity. Santa Cristina runs on its own, free of the constraints of shared ownership.

An address born of a vanished archipelago

Santa Cristina was part of the Ammiana archipelago, five islands at the outset. Four were swallowed by rising waters. It is the only survivor. Abandoned since the 15th century, it was bought in 1986 by Langes-Swarovski, who restored it patiently.

For Christoph Völk, chair of the trustees of the Swarovski heirs’ foundation, the time has come to pass the island to a new custodian, alive to its unique character and committed to protecting the lagoon.

What this sale reveals about rare assets

A whole island sits outside the logic of the ordinary market. No facing neighbours, no co-ownership, no shared rules. The property is held in full. On a different scale, this is also what sets a Parisian hôtel particulier apart from a flat, however large. An independent asset rather than a lot within a building.

The sale carries the signature of Venice Sotheby’s International Realty. The same network handles, in Paris and the western suburbs, hôtels particuliers, high floors and confidential addresses. More than 1,100 offices, 86 countries and territories and close to 26,000 advisors give every property a targeted international reach.

Prime property valuation in Paris

Rare properties are not valued at the district average. An open view, a high floor, a garden hidden from the street, the absence of co-ownership. Each factor weighs on the price. In Paris 16th, in Neuilly-sur-Seine and among the hôtels particuliers of western Paris, Paris Ouest Sotheby’s International Realty reads these micro-markets with precision.

To learn the value of your property, request a free valuation of your property or call +33 1 46 22 27 27.

FAQ – Santa Cristina and international prime property

Where is Santa Cristina island and how much does it cost?

Santa Cristina lies at the northern end of the Venice lagoon, about twenty minutes by boat from the city. According to CNN, the 29.4 hectare private island is offered at €24 million through Venice Sotheby’s International Realty, its first sale in more than four decades.

Why is a private island worth so much?

The value comes from absolute rarity. A whole island offers complete independence, with no facing neighbours and no co-ownership. Santa Cristina adds a nine-bedroom villa, a vineyard producing the Ammiana wine, an olive grove, a helipad and self-managed water and electricity. Few properties combine so much exclusivity.

What is the Parisian equivalent of such an independent asset?

In Paris, the hôtel particulier comes closest. Independent, free of co-ownership, often with a garden hidden from the street, it stands as a patrimony in its own right. They are found in the 16th, in Neuilly-sur-Seine and across western Paris, areas followed by Paris Ouest Sotheby’s International Realty.

What sets a hôtel particulier apart from a large flat?

A flat, however exceptional, remains a lot within a co-ownership, subject to rules and collective decisions. A hôtel particulier is held in full independence. Its courtyard, its staircase, sometimes its garden. That independence explains a higher heritage value and a greater rarity.

Who buys this kind of confidential property?

A patrimonial and international clientele, whether family, entrepreneurial or institutional. It seeks rarity, discretion and an address understood only by insiders. The Sotheby’s International Realty network, present in 86 countries, connects these buyers with the most confidential properties, from Venice to Paris.

How do you get a prime property valued in Paris?

Valuing a rare property rests on the address, the floor, the view, the condition and any outdoor space, never on an average. Paris Ouest Sotheby’s International Realty offers a free, confidential valuation. An appointment can be booked online or on +33 1 46 22 27 27.