Perched on the tip of the Port of Pollensa on the island of Mallorca is 'La Fortaleza', an extravagant Spanish villa that featured prominently in the BBC's popular television series The Night Manager.
Purchased by British banker Lord James Lupton in 2011 for a figure close to AU$60 million, the 232-acre fortified property was built in 1628 to defend the Pollensa peninsula from Saracen raids.
Well, it has since changed hands again, with Norwegian real estate tycoon Ivar Erik Tollefsen taking the keys to the luxury Mallorcan hideaway from Lupton in a purchase believed to be one of the biggest property deals in the Balearics, or even Spain, in recent years.
Tollefsen has an estimated fortune of more than six billion dollars and is the second richest person in Norway.
Positioned on a jutting peninsula, La Fortaleza boasts two incredible pools, seven villas, and over 25,000 square feet of immaculately manicured terraces and gardens within its grounds. It is considered one of the most expensive properties in Spain, if not the most expensive, and serves as the on-screen home to Hugh Laurie's ruthless character in the series, international arms dealer and all-around bad man, Richard Roper.
The property's interiors are kept considerably hush-hush in real life, despite being ironically showcased to millions worldwide in the fictional series based on the 1993 bestseller of the same name by John le Carré.
"It was deliberate to make it very sexy," explained the Oscar-winning Danish director Susanne Bier to the Mallorca Daily Bulletin.
"The story takes place in a very lavish world – the world of Richard Roper – and part of the excitement is that Jonathan Pine and the audience get sucked into this world because it’s so lavish and glamorous. We all want to be there even if we know that it’s an evil world. So that world needed to be attractive."
And it’s fair to say its enduring appeal extends beyond just what we see on the screen. In recent years, the Spanish fortress home has established itself as an exclusive wedding venue for sports royalty, hosting former Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale and Mallorca’s favourite son Rafa Nadal. Framed by ancient stone and open sea, as destination weddings go, this one is, frankly, absurd.
To catch a glimpse of the magnificent property, you can catch the six-part drama series on Prime Video, which also stars Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman.
