Villa Versace in Miami Beach

The history of the Versace mansion

The legendary Versace villa in Miami Beach is a stunning palace and former home of the famous and talented fashion designer. At the moment, it houses the luxurious Gianni's Restaurant and hotel Villa.

Gianni Versace is a famous fashion designer and fashion icon was a truly amazingly talented artist who managed to create an amazing architectural masterpiece that incredibly combines cosiness and pomp, luxury and pretentiousness of lines with solemn simplicity and grace.

In 1937, Alden Freeman died of a long illness, and the building was resold to Jacques Amsterdam, who purchased the building for $100,000. Jacques continued to lease the rooms, but made a small renovation of the building: he added an elevator shaft and made small changes in the courtyard. The villa was renamed the Palace of Amsterdam.

What did Versace do with the house?

For several decades, the building passed from hand to hand to different owners, a large number of residents lived in it, until in 1992, Gianni Versaci came to rest in Miami Beach. He bought the villa that Freeman had originally built for $2.9 million, as well as the neighboring hotel for $3.7 million, which he eventually destroyed, and attached a garden and pool to Casa Casuarina in its place. As a result, Versace invested another $32 million in property restructuring.

The architectural complex successfully combines the artistic traditions of old Italy with its intricate palaces, huge halls and complex transitions, the strict and impeccably accurate Venice of the Renaissance and the sweeping spirit of America. To put it bluntly, Villa Gianni Versace deserves attention no less than Versailles.

What's inside Casa Casuarina

Villa Versace in Miami Beach can be fully considered as an amazingly curated museum of fine arts.

• Forged and cast unique grilles, partitions and gates, marble carvings, a combination of old works by Italian masters and modern artists working in antique style.
• Some of the sculptures are made of glass, while others imitating Italian palaces are made of marble.
• In the design of the floors, the artist gave preference to a mosaic of Mediterranean majolica flowers, generously diluting the bright deep colors with the shine of gold. Antique ornaments are intertwined with the traditional death head of the Gorgon for the House of Versace. Gianni Versace laid the golden mosaic ornaments on the floor with his own hands.
• Traditional frescoes and mosaics form the basis of the tonal range of Villa Versace. Frescoes are painting directly on wet plaster. Italian frescoes do not require additional frames other than architectural ones; they fit organically into the architecture of the building and form a special space.
• The windows of the villa are covered with elegant stained glass, imitating the style of the papal palace in the Vatican. Stained glass windows let in light, painting it in various colors of a finely selected range, but do not allow you to look inside.
• The furniture is also made according to the artist’s sketches in ancient traditions, including inlay and painting on porcelain. For Venetian artists, working with reflections is one of the current trends in the art of architecture.
• Gianni Versace's many swimming pools in Miami Beach reflect slender Corinthian columns supporting high arches of stylized porticos, adding to the already generous space.

Hotel Villa, Gianni's Restaurant and Celebrities at Villa Gianni Versace

As you know, in our time you are famous if you are friends with celebrities. The circle of communication and sympathy of fashion designer and artist Gianni Versaci can be described as the highest of the American mainstream. Madonna, Elton John, Cher, Prince, Sting — all were welcome guests at the Versace villa and enjoyed spending time in the sophisticated luxury inherent in the artist's interiors.

After the tragic death of Gianni Versace, he was shot dead right on the steps of his magnificent mansion, the popularity of the mansion has paradoxically increased. Everyone wanted to see the creation of the life of a brilliant artist and the place of his death.

Today, in the interiors of the Versace Mansion Casa Casuarina of the former Versace house in Miami Beach, a luxurious hotel and an even more luxurious restaurant are open. You can reserve a table and spend the evening in an incredible atmosphere, among the works of art by Gianni Versace. The place is really very pompous and beautiful, sometimes private events and small weddings are held here.

The cost is of course a little overpriced, but for true fans and friends of the fashion designer there are no barriers if you need to touch creativity and talent.