February 20, 2022 – The old summer house called Villa Katino, a monument of historical and cultural significance on the island of Šipan, has been restored to its original appearance, while three new, modern five-star villas have been built on the surrounding land intended for guests of high purchase power.
Villa Katino, built back in 1908 on a large estate on the island of Šipan, which until ten years ago was completely neglected, dilapidated, and overgrown with vegetation and olives, today it’s a residential building of the highest category in this area.
Namely, the hundred-year-old estate has developed into a complex for elite tourism thanks to a Russian entrepreneur, who has been looking for an ideal location for vacation for years. He wanted privacy, security, excellent quality, and the possibility of hosting the most distinguished guests, provided the proximity of the airport and the possibility of receiving mega yachts in front of the facility. He found all this in the Port of Šipan on an islet that belongs to the group of Elaphite Islands not far from Dubrovnik.
The old mansion with the surrounding land, which once also housed the servants’ house, was bought in 2009 by the Mikado company, which he owned, and was later taken over entirely by a Swiss investment fund. The design of the complex itself began in 2011, and the entire project was realized in 2017.
The luxury complex of Villa Katino covers 5.5 hectares of land and consists of four five-star villas, each of which covers over 1,000 square meters and ancillary facilities, with a total accommodation capacity of nine bedrooms for a maximum of 18 people.
– Renovation and construction followed the natural appearance and development of the island. Villa Katino itself, otherwise a monument of historical and cultural significance, has preserved its original appearance, as it had during the previous owners, the noble family Stjepović – say from management of the Mikado company.
Three new, modern villas, on the other hand, were built on the overgrown terrain of an old summer house. Each is different in terms of architectural design and interior design, and each is equipped with the most modern designer furniture and unique lighting fixtures. The interiors are decorated with paintings and works of art of prominent Croatian masters, and the 80-square-meter presidential suite is particularly impressive. The premises of the complex have underfloor and ceiling heating and cooling, ventilation, and the functions of all facilities are managed by the smart home system.
– The program of their stay is designed as a recreational and educational vacation with active acquaintance with the natural, historical, cultural, artistic, and gastronomic beauties of Croatia – say from management of the Mikado company.
Guests have at their disposal three swimming pools with counter-current swimming and underwater massage, geysers and waterfalls, outdoor sunbathing areas, saunas and steam and ice baths, showers with cold mist and tropical rain, beauty salons, fitness, billiards, tennis courts, cinema and mini-amphitheatre for outdoor music and theatre performances. There is also a private wine cellar that stores thousands of bottles of premium, mostly Croatian, wines and an olive grove with about a thousand trees from which up to 3,000 litres of own olive oil is produced each year at local oil mill, depending on the harvest.
The project is accompanied by large investments in infrastructure that is used by all residents of the island. One of the most substantial contributions is the construction of local road on the island which improved substantially the infrastructure. Among other things, a substation was built and the reconstruction of SN line was performed, which enabled a better supply of electricity to the entire town. Moreover, Mikado provided plans to the local authorities for sewerage system on island. Mikado created additional working places and contributed to economic prosperity of the local area.
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Villa Katino is one of the few buildings in Croatia built using the golden ratio method. The Greek Parthenon, the French Notre Dame, and the Taj Mahal, for example, were built using this method.
The golden ratio is a compositional law that represents a unique ratio of parts to the whole, in which the ratios of the parts to each other and each part to the whole are equal.
Learn more about the magical Elaphiti islands in the Total Croatia Elaphiti Islands in a Page guide.
