Venice has canals. Sarasota has the Gulf. But both, apparently, now share a flair for high-priced grandeur. Serenissima, a 19,300-square-foot homage to old-world Italy perched on 145 feet of Longboat Key beachfront, has just sold for $30.3 million in cash—a new residential record for the region and a reminder that, in real estate, as in romance and pasta dishes, Italians do it bigger.
So arrivederci, St. Regis Residences, which until now held the record for the most expensive residential sale in Sarasota County when it fetched $21,244,000 last year. The sale of Serenissima, at 845 Longboat Club Road, is now the most expensive residential transaction ever recorded on Florida’s west coast, excluding the Naples market further south. The 1.18-acre estate, tucked within the gates of the Longboat Key Club, boasts 145 feet of Gulf frontage and nearly 20,000 square feet of living space—a scale that might seem outsized to most, but, as listing agent Rich Polese of Compass Real Estate notes, is “a perfect size for a family vacation retreat for them.”
“Them,” in this case, refers to the still-anonymous buyers, represented by Judy Kepecz-Hays of Coldwell-Banker Realty. Originally from Indiana, they already owned property in Sarasota and had been eyeing Longboat Key for some time. “They fell in love with the home within an hour,” Kepecz-Hays says. “They loved all of it. Everything.” She added that the couple plans to keep the home as is—which is perhaps wise, considering the finishes include hand-painted murals, soaring marble hallways, and a chef’s kitchen that would make a restaurateur blush.
Built in 2005, Serenissima had last sold in 2020 for $16.5 million—then a record-tying price for Sarasota. At that time, Polese handled the transaction, as well. This time, he says, “I stood behind the price from day one,” despite early doubt. “People told me, ‘You’ll never sell it at that price point.’ It proved everyone wrong.”
Stepping into it is less like walking into a beach house and more like entering a Renaissance daydream with central air conditioning. The estate is layered in architectural flourishes: arched colonnades, a two-story grand salon has frescoed ceilings, gilded fixtures, and limestone walls. There’s a library wrapped in mahogany, a formal dining room fit for a minor diplomatic summit, and a gold-caged elevator that glides between floors like a jewel box on rails. The primary suite rivals the square footage of most condos, and the marble bath wouldn’t be out of place in a Roman spa. Outside, terraces spill down toward an infinity-edge pool and 145 feet of private beach, where the Gulf of Mexico stands in as both backdrop and bragging right. It’s not subtle, but subtlety was never on the blueprint.
The listing drew attention quickly. “We had six showings, which was remarkable given the price,” Polese says. “We had ultra-wealthy prospects, including two famous people—I can’t say their names. A billionaire socialite from New York City. One from the Palm Beach market.” The buzz, he believes, helped validate the price. “With good exposure, you can prove value with data. The price it closed at aligns with the appreciation we’re seeing in that $8 million-plus market.”…