In Italy, a villa is put up for sale for about half a billion euros, with the so-called “auction of the century” auction.
Villa Aurora, built in the 16th century in Rome, is valued at 471 million Euros. The minimum opening price of the auction, which is planned to be held today, has been determined as 353 million Euros.
According to Italian media, Bill Gates and the Sultan of Brunei are also expected to attend the auction. It is stated that if the sale of Villa Aurora is completed, it will be one of the most expensive houses in the world.
The only mural by Caravaggio
What makes Villa Aurora so precious is the works of art inside. Much of the home’s value comes from the ceiling painting by Caravaggio.
The mural painted by Caravaggio in 1597 is valued at 310 million Euros. The work, which depicts the Roman gods Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto, is the only known mural by Caravaggio.
The villa is located on land that once belonged to the Ancient Roman leader Julius Caesar. It is estimated that one of the many statues in his garden belongs to Michelangelo.
There are also frescoes in the house by the Baroque painter Guercino. The villa takes its name from the fresco of the goddess of Aurora by Guercino.
The villa also houses the stairs that belonged to architect Carlo Maderno, who designed the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
The list of famous guests of Villa Aurora extends from Galileo Galilei to Goethe, from Tchaikovsky to Madonna.
‘**government buy**’ call
The villa belonging to the Ludovisi family, who came from the aristocracy, was put up for auction due to the inheritance dispute. After the last owner of the villa, “Prince” Nicolo Boncompagni Ludovisi, passed away in 2018, the dispute between his children from his first marriage and his third and last wife, Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, was settled in court. After the parties could not come to an agreement, the court decided to put the villa up for sale.
There are also those who oppose the sale of the villa due to its historical and artistic value and call for the state to buy it. To date, more than 38 thousand people have supported a petition launched on the Internet with this demand.
According to the Italian press, Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini also conveyed a request to Prime Minister Mario Draghi to purchase the villa by the state.
If the villa is sold at auction, it is possible for the Ministry of Culture to step in and buy the property for the same price within 60 days.