For those who dream of owning their own island the Italian property market currently offers a modest yet varied selection. From the Venice Lagoon to the western coast of Sicily and the Gulf of Naples, nine private islands in Italy are presently for sale, with prices ranging from 1.5 to 24 million euros. The offerings range from lavishly appointed villa estates with helicopter landing pads to small, historically resonant islands featuring Napoleonic forts, Spanish viceregal fortresses and 16th-century watchtowers. This market overview is based on the database of the international specialist portal Island Seeker, as of July 2026, supplemented by current Italian property and business reports.
The most expensive: Isola Santa Cristina in the Venice Lagoon
At the top of the price list stands Isola Santa Cristina in the northern part of the Venice Lagoon, between Torcello and Burano. The asking price: 24 million euros, according to a market overview by the financial daily Milano Finanza. The island covers around 29 hectares and is approximately 20 minutes by boat from Venice. On the estate are a four-storey villa, a separate farmhouse, a chapel, a heated saltwater pool, a boathouse with private moorings and a helicopter landing pad. The grounds also include an actively managed vineyard producing the wine Ammiana, olive groves, fruit orchards and traditional fishing valli that continue age-old Venetian practices.
Particularly noteworthy: the island is on the market for the first time since 1986, when it was acquired by the Swarovski family. After nearly four decades in private family ownership, the estate is now seeking a new owner. Unlike many other listings in the lagoon, the island is habitable and does not require fundamental restoration works. For prospective buyers in the international luxury property segment , this represents significantly lower additional expenditure compared with historic properties that must undergo comprehensive refurbishment before they can be used.
Second most expensive: Isola di Santa Maria in the Stagnone di Marsala
Second place on the price list goes to the west of Sicily. The Isola di Santa Maria is situated in the Laguna dello Stagnone near Marsala, an area of shallow waters and salt pans that has developed in recent years into an internationally renowned kitesurfing destination. The asking price is 15 million euros. On the estate are a villa of around 460 square metres, a 16th-century chapel, a manager's residence and an animal shelter.
The island's vegetation includes olive groves and the prickly pear cactitypical of the region. The vendors are negotiating privately and are targeting primarily prospective buyers with projects in wellness and ecologically sustainable tourism, according to the Sicilian magazine BeSicily. The setting of the Laguna dello Stagnone, with its salt pans and flamingos, makes Santa Maria one of the most ecologically significant sites on the Italian island market.
A historic fort: Isola di Crevan near Venice
Third place, with an asking price of 5.5 million euros, goes once again to the Venice Lagoon. Isola di Crevan lies between Sant'Erasmo and Burano, covers around 5,700 square metres and is home to a Napoleonic fort. The property is being marketed through Lionard, an agency specialising in luxury real estate.
The island is a classic example of properties on the Italian island market in which historic substance and natural setting account for a considerable portion of the price. The Napoleonic fort on the island speaks to the strategic significance of the Venice Lagoon during the European conflicts of the early 19th century. Today, this historic heritage makes the property particularly attractive to collectors and lovers of culture.
Further offerings in the market overview
Alongside the three most expensive properties, the current listings include several further islands in a variety of regions. In Sicily, off the coast of Palermo to the west of Mondello, Isola delle Femmine is on offer at 1.6 million euros . On it stands an abandoned 16th-century watchtower, a remnant of the historic coastal defence system against pirate raids. In Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the Isola degli Orbi lies in the Laguna di Grado and covers 3.5 hectares. It was acquired following a compulsory auction and has since been comprehensively renovated.
Two further listings concern the octagonal defensive islands of the Serenissima. Ottagono San Pietro in the southern lagoon (around 2,833 m²) is for sale at 1.5 million euros , while Ottagono Alberoni (around 700 metres offshore, enclosed by imposing perimeter walls) is listed at price on application. Both properties are subject to strict requirements from the heritage conservation authorities (Soprintendenza) and require extensive restoration works. The logistical effort involved in transporting materials to the islands makes such purchases more akin to collector investments than conventional property projects.
A further current listing is situated far to the south: the Scoglio di Rovigliano off the Gulf of Naples, dominated by a Spanish viceregal fortress. The property offers a spectacular setting, though negotiations are likely to be complex: the island is divided among 23 heirs, and a further portion belongs to the Campania region. The case is an example of how Italian inheritance law can, in the context of historic properties, give rise to ownership situations that block a sale for years or at least delay it considerably.
The Market for Italian Private Islands
The Italian island market is small by international standards, but remarkably diverse. The nine listings currently featured on Island Seeker are spread across a wide range of locations, according to an analysis by the financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore, with concentrations in the Venice Lagoon, Sicily and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, complemented by the Scoglio di Rovigliano in the Gulf of Naples. The price range of 1.5 to 24 million euros covers very different scales of investment, from the restoration of a historic octagonal fort to moving straight into a habitable villa complete with a helicopter landing pad.
Italian private islands are generally subject to specific regulations, particularly regarding listed building protections, environmental requirements in lagoon and marine conservation areas, and the logistical challenges of transporting materials and managing utilities. Properties on the market are typically handled through specialist luxury real estate agencies such as Lionard or via international platforms such as Island Seeker, with negotiations between seller and prospective buyers often conducted privately.
