Castillo del Lago is a Hollywood-inspired mansion that over the years has become part of L.A.'s folklore."It's a magical house, almost like a fairy-tale place," said owner Joe Pytka. The filmmaker and prolific commercial director spent 15 years restoring the rambling Mediterranean on about 3 acres of hillside above Lake Hollywood.
Recently listed for sale at $14.95 million, the fortress-like estate has 300-degree views encompassing the L.A. basin, downtown L.A., the mid-Wilshire area and the ocean. "It's an isolated and a huge property in the middle of Hollywood," he said.
There are nine bedrooms and six bathrooms in 7,783 square feet and such amenities as 25-foot-high beamed and coffered ceilings, a wine cellar, an elevator, a swimming pool, rose gardens, fountains and, befitting a castle, even a tower.
The uncompromising John DeLario-designed structure -- built in 1926 for an oilman who invested $250,000 in the project -- "very much reflects the times of the original architecture," Pytka said.
Under a succession of owners, the place was leased to Bugsy Siegel for use as a speak-easy, damaged by fire and sold for back taxes. It alternately deteriorated and underwent restoration efforts.
When Pytka bought the mansion from pop music icon Madonna in the mid-'90s for roughly $5 million, he considered it a standout compared with what else was on the market. "Nothing was remotely close."
Under her ownership, the house gained its notable red-and-yellow exterior. Although Pytka researched the home's history and looked at the original color, he opted to keep Madonna's color scheme.
"If you go to Portofino, [Italy] there are houses like this all over the place," he said. "It's fabulous."
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