Casino dell'Aurora, a Rome villa that
hosts the world's only surviving Caravaggio fresco, went up for
auction on Tuesday but drew no bidders.
The auction house said it would set another date for the auction
of what has been billed as "the world's most expensive home"
within 45 days.
The procedure to sell the Renaissance villa, whose artistic
jewels include Caravaggio's Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto mural,
lasted until Tuesday evening, when the auction was declared
"deserted".
The starting price was 471 million euros and the reserve was set
at 353.25 million.
The villa is being auctioned off after the heirs of an Italian
nobleman, Prince Nicolò Boncompagni Ludovisi, failed to reach an
agreement for the future of the residence following his death in
2018.
His widow, 72-year-old Texas-born former actress, television
journalist, and real estate executive Princess Rita Boncompagni
Ludovisi, told Reuters that Bill Gates and a Qatari emir were
among those to have expressed an interest in the
2,800-square-metre property.
The princess, who once posed for Playboy, had failed to agree
with the prince's children on who should get ownership of the
villa.
The lavish building also features five rooms with frescoes by
Guercino, sculptures, statues and a splendid garden, although
much of the structure needs a makeover.
A petition has been launched via Change.org calling on Culture
Minister Dario Franceschini to intervene and take out its option
to buy the home and its artworks.
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