Oct. 2: Rock star and celebrity landlord Sting was born on this day in 1951
Sixty-two years ago today, a squalling Gordon Thomas Matthew Sumner entered the world. That world would come to know him better as Sting -- a nickname he earned when he wore a black-and-yellow striped sweater to a gig.
Besides his rather successful career in music, Sting has recently become a landlord of sorts as well. One of his seven homes is Il Palagio, a 16th century Tuscan villa south of Florence, Italy, that he and his wife, Trudie Styler, restored and use as a summer retreat. (It's also now an active farm where they produce honey, olive oil and "biodynamic" wine.) Earlier this year they began offering the estate for rent -- possibly to offset new Italian property taxes.
On the occasion of Sting's birthday, we're taking a look at the beautifully restored estate, which is now available for vacations or for weddings and other special events. The 865-acre estate consists of a main villa, three smaller houses, and two more large villas at a distance; the grounds include forest areas, a lake, stables, a swimming pool, a recording studio (of course) and a yoga center (ditto). Weekly rates start at 4,000 euros, or just shy of $5,500 at today's exchange rates.
