Bowral grand manor Bellagio sells for over $8 million

Sydney builder Roy Alvaro and his wife Wendy have sold Bellagio, the grand manor house they built on what was just a two hectare horse paddock.

Following their $5 million sale of Manderley in 2006, Roy, now retired from the family-owned Alvaro Bros, built the award-winning home for his family in 2008.

They paid $230,000 for the horse paddock in 1997 which has been transformed into an Italian garden paradise.

The couple were inspired after a trip to Lake Como.

Behind the quadruple brick façade, the 1500 sqm Tuscan designed manor has six spacious bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and a white sandstone, 500 bottle wine cellar.

There's also a seperate guest house, a sun room, library and rumpus room. 

Developed over the course of more than 20 years, the gardens bear the names 'Il Giardino Secreto' (the Secret Garden), the 'Dome Temple' lawn area, the Bosca Wooded garden, the Spring Garden and the Loggia Terrace Garden which feature numerous waterfalls and lakes.

Knight Frank agent Deborah Cullen sold the home.

She had initial $12.5 million hopes when they first listed the home four years ago, but the sale at over $8 million is still expected to be the second highest in the Southern Highlands this year.

The priciest was Robertson Park, which was quietly offloaded by property developer John Boyd for $9 million.