Seeking a “discreet” 18th century mansion? Seek no more.  James Tarmy, reporter for bloomberg, shows what a hidden Oasis in San Miguel looks like, and what’s best is that you don’t have to smash your piggy bank to live there.
On a quiet side street in the historic downtown of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, there’s a 12,000-square-foot mansion tucked behind an unassuming stucco wall, currently on sale for $2.85 million.
The transition is jarring: One moment you’re on cobblestones and the next, you’ve opened the house’s beat-up green door and entered a leafy oasis of manicured gardens, internal courtyards, and reflecting pools. See for yourself:
Outside, a nondescript stucco wall.
Inside, a lush retreat
Known as the Casa San Jose, the house is set in the heart of San Miguel De Allende’s UNESCO-protected historic city streets. The city, whose colonial past can be traced to the mid-16th century, when Spanish missionaries set up shop with the old one-two of a chapel and a military outpost, has since become a sprawling, cosmopolitan city that attracts a vast number of expatriates from Europe and the U.S. The closest airport, Guanajuato International, is a solid hour-and-a-half drive from the city; a smaller, regional airport, Queretaro, is closer, though most travelers connect through Mexico City. (Christie’s International Real Estate, which listed the property, says that it could appeal to Americans looking to relocate.)
The house itself was built in the 18th century and restored in 2007. It features Spanish Colonial architectural flourishes that include stone archways, carved doors, and wood-beamed ceilings. There’s a lovely, open-air interior courtyard, replete with palms and a fountain.
The house seems to have been built for entertaining—or at the very least, for a very large, fun-loving family. There are six bedrooms, seven full baths, and two partial baths, an eat-in chef’s kitchen, a dining rom that seats 12, and several outdoor, second-floor terraces with views of the city. The Jardin, the historic town’s central courtyard, is just a few blocks away.
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Source: Bloomberg
