Versace Mansion (THE VILLA CASA CASUARINA)

Versace Mansion 

We're now standing in front of one of Miami beach's best-known and most-visited buildings. Commonly known as the Versace Mansion, the Casa Casuarina is most famously known for being owned in the 1990s by Italian fashion designer Gianna Versace. 

A perfect example of the Mediterranean-revival style of the Art Deco movement that was popular from 1920-1935, the Versace Mansion was first built in the 1930's by Alden Freeman, the heir to the Standard Oil Fortune. The architecture of the house was based on the oldest house in the Western hemisphere in 1510, Alcazar de Colon, in Santo Domingo that was owned by none other than Christopher Columbus' son Diego Columbus. When Freeman died in 1937 the mansion was purchased by Jacques Amsterdam and for a while was known as "The Amsterdam Palace". 

In the early 1990's Gianna Versace was on holiday from Cuba and told a cab driver to bring him somewhere "fun and fancy" to which he took him down Ocean Drive. Immediately upon seeing the mansion Versace was convinved he had to have it. He purchased the mansion in 1992 for $6.9 million and poured nearly $30 million more into renovating it. Renovations included the addition of a 6,100 sq ft wing and the 54ft long mosaic tiled pool. The pool itself is made up of over 1 million tiles, many of which are made of solid 24 carat gold. Gianni presided in the house from 1992 until 1997 when he was fatally shot by Andrew Cunanan on July 15 on his front doorsteps. 

Upon his death, the Versace Mansion was sold at auction for 41.5 million to the Nakashe family, the owners of the Jordache Clothing company. The mansion has since been turned into a boutique hotel including 12 luxurious suites and an exquisite on-site restaurant.