Italian Princess Faces Eviction From $150M Villa

Italian Princess, Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, formerly known as  Rita Jenrette is currently facing eviction from $150M  30,000 square-foot  Roman Villa due to a  dispute with her stepsons over the property.

The 500-year-old villa, valued at over $500 million, has been put up for auction several times with no bids placed.

Her husband’s will left her with 50% of the proceeds if the house were sold and the right to live there for life, while his three sons would split the rest.

The villa, which was built in 1570 by Francesco del Nero holds antiquities and masterpieces, including a rare Caravaggio mural that represents most of the value of the house.

A statue of the Greek god Pan attributed to Michelangelo, and revealing letters from Marie Antoinette that have been digitized by Ludovisi and a classics professor at Rutgers University.

The Ludovisi family has owned the villa since 1621, and the estate once covered almost 90 acres and held the home of Julius Caesar. Another auction is scheduled for June 30 with an asking price of $158 million.

Also living in the villa is a Ukrainian refugee family, the daughter and grandchildren of Ludovisi’s housekeeper. Ludovisi has expressed her commitment to not abandoning them amid their fears for their family in Ukraine.

Jenrette served three terms in Congress before being caught up in the ABSCAM political corruption scandal in the 1980s and serving 13 months in federal prison