A whopping Italian estate with a 12th-century medieval castle and a sprinkling of Tuscan farmhouses in the ground, is on market for US$ 29,3 million. According to The Telegraph, 14,3 thousand square meters mansion has 115 bedrooms, 100 bathrooms on the side. This castle just east of Siena, wrapped in 630 hectares planted with 1,500 olive trees producing award-winning olive oil, is thought to be the largest property in the world currently on the market. The setting in Tuscany, the medieval courtyard with tower and chapel, the Italianate gardens with palms and box hedges, the interiors with marble floors and elaborate painted ceilings, make it so romantic that it is sometimes hired for weddings. It goes without saying that there is plenty of room for guests to sleep, as well as pools for them to swim in. "It is exceptionally beautiful. There are many castles in Tuscany but very few are medieval," says the agent John Jonk of Sotheby's International "The approach to it is wonderful and you go into another world. There are thousands of wild boar and roe deer, magical woods, vineyards, olive groves and grain fields. On the estate it is always silent. The castle was built at a time just before Giotto, when the Renaissance lay around the corner and Siena was at war with Florence." From the 1400s it had been in the hands of the Piccolomini family until the current owners bought it more than 30 years ago. "The price is unusually low considering it provides 14,3 thousand square meters of accommodation. But this reflects the market in Europe at the moment." It is believed that Galileo Galilei stayed in the tower and must have gazed out upon the same night sky. How does it compare to other global Godzillas of the property world? One of the largest newly built palaces is the 27-storey skyscraper Antilia in Mumbai, India, which provides 37,1 thousand square meters of space, including six stories of parking lots, a lobby with nine elevators and several lounges, a ballroom with crystal chandeliers, swimming pool, bar, yoga studio, ice room, four-storey garden and private sleeping areas for a family of five. It is thought to have cost nearly US$ 2 billion to build and is the home of Mukesh Ambani, head of the India-based petrochemical Reliance Industries. According to therichest.com, the largest home is the Istana Nurul Iman Palace, at 200 thousand square meters. This is the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei and has 1,788 rooms, 257 bathrooms, five swimming pools, a 110-car garage, air-conditioned stable for 200 polo ponies, banquet hall, and a mosque large enough for 1,500 worshippers. Its estimated cost was US$ 2,08 billion.

A mini castle has gone on sale but the price tag is not as steep as might be expected. Set in the picturesque village of Upper Arley in Worcestershire, the two-bed semi-detached property even comes complete with its own turret. And the cost to get your hands on your own piece of history? Arley Tower is on the market for just US$ 420 thousand. Admittedly, it is a little small for the average sized family - but it's unlikely that you'll ever find a castle in this price range again. As well as it's own turret, the Grade II listed building boasts an octagonal staircase and roof terrace with sweeping views over the River Severn. It was built in a Gothic Revival style in the 1800s by Lord Mountnorris, owner of the Arley Estate. On the ground floor, you'll find two bedrooms with French doors leading from the master bedroom into the rear courtyard. Currently being sold by up market estate agents Knight Frank, the first floor has a vaulted living room and balcony. Inside, the house is surprisingly light and spacious, with modern decor and a large kitchen that looks out onto the back garden.

Italy's government has unveiled a fire sale of some real gems of the country's heritage due to difficult economic situation in country. The government hopes to raise about 42 billion euro through the property sales. Turning some of this real estate into cash would be a fast way to raise revenue for the country's cash-strapped municipalities, states and national government. Prime Minister Mario Monti's plan for the economy, which is close to final passage, includes the sale of 350 buildings along with cuts to public spending and other austerity measures. The government hopes to raise about 1.5 billion euro through the property sales during first phase. The 350 properties include army barracks in Bologna, which were formerly occupied by the Defense Ministry, and Soriano nel Cimino's Orsini Castle, in the Lazio region, which was built by a pope in the 1270s and later used as a prison. The city of Venice has put a 19 million euro price tag on the 18th century Diedo Palace, which served as a criminal court for years and is now being marketed to foreign investors by Hera Immobiliare. It is one of 18 properties Venice has put on the block. Milan is selling more than 100 buildings, including the Palazzo Bolis Gualdo at 12 Via Bagutta, in the city's famous fashion district. That building's price tag is 31 million euro. But the plan to sell properties faces headwinds. Many institutional investors, fearing a collapse of the euro, essentially have redlined Italy as well as other members of the euro zone with the biggest financial problems, including Spain and Greece. Moreover, investors would have to assume the risk of dealing with the notoriously slow Italian bureaucracy, fixing up the properties and then finding tenants at a time of anemic economic growth. Italy isn't the only struggling European country looking for profit from historical buildings. At the beginning of this year Greece put ancient sites for rent.

The beautiful Windshape pavilion by nARCHITECTS stretched across the limestone walls of Lacoste, France like a luminous billowing spider's web, reported The Inhabitat. Perched at the top of Lacoste on the castle of the Marquis de Sade, the Windshape pavilion was composed of thread-like walls made from a simple assortment of materials - including white plastic pipes, aluminum braces, and threaded string. Woven from gauzy nets, the pavilion was designed to move and morph in the local wind, creating a spectacular art installation for the locals to enjoy. The surfaces of the pavilion would ripple, move, and even make noise, depending on the speed of the winds that blew through it. Over the course of five weeks, SCAD students worked closely with nARCHITECTS to install Windshape. The netted arcs took shape through bending and tension, and they were held in place by steel structural collars that ensured the structure's sturdiness. The strings were woven to provide enclosed spaces as well as more open areas to vary the usage of the different parts of the temporary pavilion. The resulting pavilion was a translucent web that elegantly embellished the Medieval architecture of the historic town. Taking advantage of these new meeting points, the town used the space was used to host concerts, exhibitions and ceremonies. At night, Windshape was illuminated and visible to neighboring towns miles away.

Maxim Galkin has built a six-story castle just like Harry Potters Castle, in the village Gryaz (mud). The total area of the castle is 2300 square meters and there are more than 20 dwellings, including five bedrooms, an observatory, a library, fireplace, winter garden, a sports complex with swimming pool, and one of the rooms is designed special for Alla Pugacheva. All rooms are decorated with antique statues and paintings that artist brings from all over the world. The construction of the castle lasted four years and it is almost finished! The only work left is to finish gate, put a stone driveway and to face the "Colosseum" (a type of a Greek amphitheater, harboring the estate from prying glances of passers). Many publications have reported, that Galkin was planning to celebrate a housewarming in November holidays, but Maxim has decided not to pass ahead of this joyous occasion and he is planning to finish the construction next year. The construction of the palace worth more than $ 10 million, and this is not the end! According to Maxim Galkin, 200 years ago on the castle construction site, was located the mansion of the aristocratic Leo Tolstoy's family. But one thing is obvious: the Great Magician Galkin will never dispense his assets as Tolstoy did, and will enjoy it for the rest of his "magic" life.