A Spanish farmhouse-style penthouse villa — one with a striking red roof that’s perched on top of a former church — is back on the market for $8.25 million, down from its most recent ask of $9.5 million, Gimme Shelter has learned.

It is also available as a $42,000-a-month rental.

It all crowns the neo-Gothic building known as the Opera, located at 2166 Broadway and 77th Street. 

The lofty aerie was built on top of the building’s roof — where a cross once was — in 1980, around the time the 24-story building turned co-op. The home first listed for $12.5 million in 2023 and was last asking $9.5 million in April, down from $9.9 million in March. 

The sellers — Mehryar Mohri and Corinna Cortes — bought the penthouse for $7.95 million in 2017. They are experts in machine learning research. Mohri is a professor of computer science and mathematics at NYU’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, and heads the machine learning theory team at Google Research.

The five-bedroom, four-bath spread takes up a full floor. It comes with a temperature-controlled solarium and a wraparound terrace featuring panoramic views of Central Park, the Hudson River, the Midtown skyline and the George Washington Bridge. 

“This is truly a one-of-a-kind penthouse — a full floor built on top of a prewar building with private outdoor space and 360 degree views of the city,” said listing broker Seth Podell of Howard Hanna NYC.

“The location is amazing, on the Upper West Side, but you feel like you are in a home and not Manhattan — like a farmhouse in the sky overlooking New York City,” he added. 

The light-filled residence opens to a foyer that leads to a great room with vaulted 16-foot, white-washed cedar ceilings. A stone-clad woodburning fireplace anchors the open space with a living and dining area along with a white chef’s kitchen.

The solarium, for its part, features built-in dining that extends entertaining options year-round. 

A main bedroom suite takes up one wing. It has Central Park views, a woodburning fireplace, two walk-in closets, a spa-like ensuite bath with river views and direct access to the terrace.

In addition, a skylight studio currently functions as a home workspace.

Finally, a mezzanine loft can function as an additional studio or library.

Built in 1930 by father-and-son architects Tillion &Tillion, the building was originally a neo-Gothic church and residence — before the reverend was fired by his congregation for pilfering church funds, according to a New York Times report. By 1943, the city had taken over the building because it owed $420,000 — about $8.3 million today — in back taxes.

Building amenities include a doorman, concierge service and a live-in resident manager.