If ever a house was well named, it is María Juan de Sentmenat’s idyllic estate on Majorca. Bellagre, which means “beautiful countryside” in Latin, sits amid a fragrant pine forest and lush gardens full of olives, oranges and lemons, on a hill overlooking the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean.
Although the estate lies just a few minutes from the island’s capital, Palma, it is an oasis of calm.
María’s grandfather, Vicente Juan de Sentmenat, Count of Ribas, built the house in 1945 as a summer residence, but it became his family’s full-time home.
He loved to gather the extended Sentmenat clan here during the holidays, as María, the head of a top PR agency, recalls. “There were so many of us that we sat down to eat in three shifts – it was great fun,” she laughs, telling how she’s relished re-creating that childhood experience for her daughter, also called María and now 18.
And, she adds, it isn’t only family who’ve fallen for Bellagre’s charms. As Monaco’s consul in Spain, the Count of Ribas hosted Prince Rainier of Monaco and his Hollywood bride Princess Grace – Grace Kelly – here when they visited Majorca.
With its handsome facade of hand-carved stone, its courtyard and tower, the picturesque palazzo proved a hit with the royal couple, as photos and mementos show.
María, what do you love most about this house?
"Bellagre has great sentimental value for me.
"I lived here until I was 16 and it's full of the best memories of my childhood and adolescence.
"In the summer, all my cousins from Madrid would come to stay.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
OSCAR-WINNING FAMILY MAN - EDDIE REDMAYNE
GOES UNDERCOVER TO LEARN REAL-LIFE SPY SKILLS FOR DREAM ROLE
NEW ROYAL REVELATIONS THE KING IS REVEALED AS A 'KINDLY SOUL' WHO'S OPEN TO A RECONCILIATION WITH HARRY
They may have had a strained relationship in recent years, but reconciliation could finally be on the cards for the King and his son the Duke of Sussex-once Prince Harry's legal challenges are over.
JUDE LAW: TAKING ON A 'BROKEN' F.B.I. AGENT IN NEW THRILLER
REVEALS HOW TAKING THE REINS AS A PRODUCER HAS PUT HIM IN CONTROL OF A NEW CHAPTER IN HIS CAREER
THE MARCHIONESS OF BATH - OUR SOCIAL EDITOR AT LARGE STEPS OUT IN STYLE IN MOROCCO
No sooner had I jetted back from the glamour of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York than it was time to hop on to another plane this time my destination was Marrakech.
DEMI MOORE: BREAKING DOWN BEAUTY STEREOTYPES
ON HOW GORY NEW FILM GAVE HER THE 'GIFT' OF SEEING HERSELF ANEW
THE PRINCE OF WALES - AT THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE AWARDS
DRAWS PEOPLE FROM ACROSS AFRICA TO FOCUS ON PROTECTING THE PLANET
HELLO! to KINDNES: IDRIS ELBA
For World Kindness Day 2024, HELLO! is celebrating the selfless celebrities, campaigning royals and fabulous fundraisers who prove that being kind isn't determined by who you are, but by what you do. Introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, this special day on 13 November encourages us all to practise kindness in our daily lives, helping us nurture our feelings of empathy, understanding and compassion to create a more caring world.
LIGHTING UP LONDON AT 'UNSTOPPABLE' PREMIERE - JENNIFER LOPEZ
SAYS SHARING STORIES OF DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIPS HELPED HER BRING A STRUGGLING MUM TO LIFE
DIGGING DEEP IN HER OWN FAMILY LIFE - SAOIRSE RONAN
ON PORTRAYING MOTHERHOOD IN INTENSE WARTIME DRAMA
A-LISTERS FLOCK TO LOS ANGELES FOR LACMA'S-GLITZY NIGHT OUT
MUSEUM SMASHES FUNDRAISING RECORD AS STARS GLITTER IN GUCCI