Can’t decide between a Tuscan-style villa with a spectacular front door borrowed from Hearst Castle or an exotic wildlife sanctuary sporting zebras and African deer? You don’t have to! This 1,200-acre Southern California ranch on the outskirts of the historic community of San Juan Capistrano is much more than just a very private and scenic location.
The property, located between Los Angeles and San Diego at the intersection of Orange, San Diego and Riverside counties, was originally built in the 1970s for documentary filmmaker Bruce Brown, who directed the Oscar-nominated film. On any Sunday and Surf Classic Endless summer. The late Herbalife co-founder and automotive enthusiast Richard “Dick” Marconi acquired the property in the early 1990s and spent the next three decades transforming it into a Tuscan-inspired village he named Marconi Ranch. It’s now on the market for $25 million, listed by Lance Doré and Francine Howard of California Outdoor Properties.
The single-level main villa is accessible via an arched stone bridge.
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An arched stone bridge leads to the main villa, which offers four bedrooms and three bathrooms in nearly 5,000 square feet on one level with wood-beamed ceilings, several stone fireplaces, and a light-filled loggia. Additional structures include a 2,000-square-foot art studio and 2,175-square-foot art gallery, as well as a two-story guest house, a private chapel with a replica of Michelangelo’s Pietà sculpture, an observatory, and an auto showroom with a 12-car garage.
The picturesque grounds, lined with lemon and olive trees and numerous sculptures, feature a helicopter pad, a swimming pool and separate spa, a wine gazebo, an equestrian center with a four-stall barn and a riding ring, two shooting ranges, and two large fishing spots. Perhaps most notable, though, is the 51-acre exotic wildlife sanctuary, which Marconi and his wife built after taking an African safari.
A chapel is one of the many amenities that are filtered through the 1,200-acre property.
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Marconi, who died in 2024 at the age of 89, made his fortune through the multi-level marketing company Herba Life, a nutrition company with Mark Hughes in the 1980s and a brand of supplements, vitamins, and weight-loss products.
In addition to being a famous artist, he was also an amateur racer with the Sports Car Club of America and founded the Marconi Automotive Museum and Foundation for Kids.
Click here for more photos of the Southern California residence.
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The authors
Wendy Bowman
