[imagesource: Alexander Vertikoff]

Brad Pitt’s somewhat eccentric side has been on full display in recent times.

As someone who enjoys wearing skirts in honour of the ancient Greeks, it makes sense that he just forked out $40 million for a historic clifftop castle in California.

The A-lister has said that “whilst acting is my career, architecture is my passion”. He is also reportedly a fan of Craftsman-style homes so that all bodes well.

Along California’s central coast, on a bluff in the Carmel Highlands, is Pitt’s latest abode, a roughly century-old sandstone Mediterranean mansion known as the D.L. James House or ‘Seaward’.

The castle was built in 1918 by prominent Arts and Crafts architect Charles Greene, reported SFGate, to resemble Tintagel in Cornwall, England.

Per legend, that’s the medieval fortress where King Arthur was conceived:

Image: Wikimedia Commons

The house was once lived in by controversial writer Daniel Lewis James, who kept his identity secret for most of his life, writing mostly about Chicano culture in Los Angeles.

Chicago financier Joe Ritchie was the most recent resident, but he died earlier this year.

Brad then came along to top the iconic nature of the place off with a deal that has been described as “one of the priciest ever closed in the Carmel area” by the Wall Street Journal.

(Actress Betty White used to live in the area but sold her home for $10,7 million before her passing late last year. That was well over its $7,95 million asking price, reported Mansion Global.)

Pitt’s new place was described as “a monument unique in this country” by critic Randell Makinson.

Image: Eagle View

Built from granite and sandstone quarried from the cliffs there, Makinson wrote that “the stone structure seems to have grown out of its site atop the rocky cliffs south of Carmel.

At places it is difficult to ascertain just where nature’s rock has ended and man’s masonry genius has begun.”

Image: Alexander Vertikoff

Image: Alexander Vertikoff

The Daily Mail has more pictures from in and around the impressive castle.

Pitt’s other noteworthy homes include the reportedly haunted Briarcliff Manor in LA, which was bought from Cassandra Peterson, better known as horror hostess Elvira.

[sources:sfgate&mansionglobal]