Princess faces eviction from stunning Roman villa with Caravaggio mural | World News
A Texas-born Italian princess faces eviction from a Roman villa that contains the world's only known mural painted by Renaissance artist Caravaggio, part of a bitter inheritance battle over the future of the unique property. is as
Princess Rita Janet Boncampagni Ludovici, 73, whose extraordinary life spanned acting, modeling for Playboy, becoming a New York real estate broker, and marrying a US congressman and an Italian prince, was sentenced by a court in the Italian capital. An eviction notice was issued. .
It came after a wall collapsed at his residence, the Casino del Aurora, blocking a nearby street.
She told Reuters she was "shocked" to be told she had 60 days to vacate the property, which she insists is in need of maintenance, but is against the decision. Will appeal.
Caravaggio's wall painting inside the villa. Photo: AP
Born Rita Carpenter in San Antonio in 1949, the princess is locked in a feud with her late husband Prince Niccolò Boncompagni Ludovici's children.
The couple married in 2009, and since his death in 2018 he and his three stepsons have been involved in protracted legal proceedings.
A court ordered that the property be auctioned publicly in January 2022, with a minimum bid of €350m (£310m), which would have made it one of the most valuable homes in the world.
But no bids were made at that price, and at least not in subsequent auctions.
Casino dell'Aurora, also known as Villa Ludovisi, has been put up for auction. Photo: AP
The villa's 2.75m-wide ceiling mural, painted by Caravaggio in 1597, is valued at €310m (£274m) and depicts the gods Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto.
The princess recently offered paid tours of the property to help pay for her care, but this was in breach of a court order to sell it at auction.
She claims that her husband left her half of his estate, but her son, Prince Bunte, claims that he did not have his father's best interests at heart.