Princess in Villa with Caravaggio unique faces is evicted

By Alvise Armellini and Federico Maccioni

ROME (Reuters – An American-born princess lives in Rome, where she was born. It is home to the world’s most famous mural by Caravaggio.

After part of the outside wall at Casino dell’Aurora collapsed, a Rome court served Princess Rita Jenrette Boncompagni Ludovisi with an eviction notification. The closure of a nearby street was ordered by the court.

Boncompagni Ludovisi stated to Reuters that she was given 60 days to vacate property. She said she was shocked by the decision, and would appeal.

She said that she believed that the court had made a decision based on the fact that she had given unauthorised tours of the mansion. This is part of a legal process to sell the property at auction.

She explained that the tours were set up to raise money for maintenance.

The Casino dell’Aurora went up for sale in January 2022 with a minimum bid price of 350 million euros ($380million). This makes it one of the most costly homes in the world.

The auction was closed without any bids. Four other auctions followed it, each with a lower asking price. On Thursday, a fifth auction was closed with a minimum bid price of 108.5 millions euros.

Princess Boncompagni Lidovisi was a former actress and Playboy model. She was the ex-wife of a U.S. Congressman and New York realty broker. In 2009, she married Prince Nicolo Boncompagni Ldovisi. He is the scion from one of Europe’s most aristocratic family.

After the death of the prince in 2018, she was locked in an inheritance dispute with her three stepsons. This feud is to be settled with the sale her 2,800 square metre villa, which has been her home.

Its Caravaggio painted ceiling measuring 2.75m in width and worth 310 million euros was commissioned by the King of Spain in 1597. This allegorical scene depicts the transformation of lead into Gold and features the gods Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto.

($1 = 0.9260 euros)

(Reporting by Federico Maccioni, Alvise Armellini; editing by Gavin Jones & Hugh Lawson).