The lavish Wisconsin estate with gardens styled after France’s Palace of Versailles is quite a sight. It recently reigned over the most popular homes on Realtor.com®, and soon, it will go to the highest bidder.

“There is no minimum and no reserve. It’s a live and truly absolute auction,” explains Leigh Searl, managing director of DeCaro Auctions International, the group holding the auction. “There will be bidders on site, and everyone will have a paddle. Wherever the bidding starts, it starts. Wherever the high bid lands, that’s the winning bid.”

The auction will begin on Saturday, and remote bidding might be permitted.

The 9,265-square-foot home in Mukwonago has a list price of $4,933,300. Coming up with that amount was a challenge.

“It was very difficult to come up with a list price because there’s nothing like it in our area. It’s a matter of testing the market,” explains Tonya Thomsen, who is co-listing the property with Barb Boehler. Both are with Modern Realty Partners.

Thomsen notes that the number 3 appears three times in the price because it was the favorite number of the seller’s father.

Crystals and frescoes

The estate has a majestic feel.

“There is the grand foyer with a large amount of 22-karat gold molding that was imported from Belgium,” Thomsen says. The Swarovski crystal chandelier in the space is adorned with more than 13,000 crystals, and the ceilings feature hand-painted frescoes.

“I was told the hand-painted living room was Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons,’” Searl says, referring to the iconic violin concertos.

There are three bedrooms, five baths, and two half-baths. The enormous kitchen was a gathering spot for many holidays and celebrations.

Versailles-inspired design

Local business owner and philanthropist Sherry Greenwald completed the house in 2000 with the help of her father, Darwin Greenwald.

“She loved to travel and she loved the Palace of Versailles, so she basically worked to try to re-create not just the palace, but also the gardens and the fountains as well,” Thomsen says. “The fountains and the statues are all marble and granite. She replicated the gardens on a much smaller scale, and they’re beautiful.”

The total acreage is 106, and 10 of those acres contain the home and the gardens, including a small vineyard.

Eye-catching aerie

“My favorite thing about the home is the eagle’s nest. It is just a beautiful viewpoint of the property,” Searl says.

Thomsen says developers have shown interest in the property.

“The 106 acres can be broken off into several estate-sized lots,” she says. “We look at a developer making this into a luxury estate community and actually using this home as their clubhouse. They could rent the space out and add a pool, tennis court, etc.”

It could also stay a single-family home.

“It’s a very specific taste, so somebody who likes that type of ornate design throughout the home is going to be the buyer,” she says. “It’s not going to be someone looking for new and contemporary construction.”

Sherry Greenwald died in 2012, and the house sat vacant for a time.

“There’s some minor maintenance that every year you’re going to have to do with a home of this nature and especially with the grounds. But I think as far as any type of work, it would just be if someone wanted to tweak some of the cosmetics,” Thomsen says.

The proceeds from the sale will go to the Greenwald Family Foundation.

“The Greenwald family has been in Mukwonago for many years, and they have made tremendous donations to the community,” Thomsen explains. “So with the home being put in the foundation, the sale of the home will be used in the community as well to help Mukwonago.”

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