Via Appia Antica, Rome, Italy
The extraordinary Villa Sara is situated 15 minutes from Rome’s historic centre, within the Appian Way Regional Park, one of the most iconic and charming locations in the Italian capital. Designed by the renowned architect Busiri Vichi, the residence offers a rare combination of historical significance, architectural elegance and breathtaking natural beauty.
Sophia Loren lived with her husband, the film producer Carlo Ponti, at the luxurious Villa Sara from 1960 to 1977. Carlo Ponti purchased this 16th-century Baroque mansion in the municipality of Marino (in the Alban Hills near Rome) for the actress around 1960, fulfilling his famous promise to give her ‘the most beautiful house in the world’. The couple moved there following extensive restoration and refurbishment work.
The 50-room villa has become a real family haven for raising children and a cosy retreat from the limelight.
The villa is spread over two levels and features porticoes, terraces, courtyards and several separate entrances. On the ground floor there are three spacious living rooms with fireplaces, each offering views of the garden, a kitchen and an exceptional dining room carved out of an ancient Roman grotto and adorned with a rare original mosaic depicting Medusa, the goddess of the sea. There are also two guest bathrooms on this level.
The top floor is entirely devoted to bedrooms and comprises five bedrooms, five bathrooms, an elegant library and a light-filled conservatory.
In 1977, due to problems with the Italian tax authorities and official persecution of Carlo Ponti, the family was forced to leave Italy and move to the USA (California), and later to Switzerland. The villa was finally sold much later — following Carlo Ponti’s death in 2007, Sophia Loren decided to part with the property, as the memories of the happy years they had spent there together were ‘too powerful’.
Toda una Reina ❤️❤️❤️❤️
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