Are you looking for a luxurious residence in Rome and have half a billion euros at your disposal? No need to look around anymore: Villa Aurora – a jewel of real estate and art in the capital of Italy, is offered for sale, Reuters reported.
The villa was a provincial refuge, established in the 16th century and later sold to its current owners by the noble Ludovisi family. It will be put up for auction on January 18 with a starting price of 471m euros ($ 535m).
The 2,800-square-foot property, which includes a lush garden, is home to the only known mural painted on the ceiling by Italian Baroque artist Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio.
The villa is all that remains of a provincial refuge created in the 16th century by Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, and later sold to its current owners, the noble Ludovisi family.
The sale is the result of a protracted inheritance dispute following the death of its former owner, Prince Niccolo Boncompani Ludovisi, in 2018, involving his third wife.
Princess Rita Boncompani Ludovisi, who was born and raised in Texas but has lived in the villa for 18 years, told Reuters that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was once interested in buying the property, as was the Emir of Qatar.
The sale is the result of a protracted inheritance dispute following the death of its former owner, Prince Niccolo Boncompani Ludovisi, in 2018, involving his third wife.
“I’m just praying and hoping that whoever buys it will like it as much as we do,” said the princess in an excited voice.
In 1597, Cardinal Del Monte, a diplomat and patron of the arts, commissioned Caravaggio, then barely in his 20s, to paint the ceiling of a small room on the first floor, which he used as an alchemical laboratory.
The 2.75-meter-wide mural is painted in oil directly on the plaster and depicts an allegorical scene with the gods Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto, representing the transformation of lead into gold.
Caravaggio painted his own face and body on each of the three figures. The mural itself is valued at 310 million euros.
The villa owes its name to a fresco by another Baroque artist, Guercino, who decorated the huge ceiling of the entrance hall and depicted Aurora, the goddess of dawn, riding a chariot.
Protected by high walls, the villa is located near the famous Via Veneto, where the film “Sweet Life” (1960) by Federico Fellini was shot.
In addition to Caravaggio’s murals, Villa Aurora houses an abundance of sculptures, antiques and statues, including one by Pan, attributed to the Renaissance master Michelangelo.
