The Versace mansion is Casa Casuarina, a Mediterranean Revival house at 1116 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. It was built in 1930 for the Standard Oil heir Alden Freeman, bought by Gianni Versace in 1992 and is now a ten-suite hotel, The Villa Casa Casuarina. Shop the full Versace collection, read the founder’s story in who was Gianni Versace and see the house codes in the Versace prints guide.
- Address: 1116 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, Florida.
- Built: 1930, in the Mediterranean Revival style, for Alden Freeman.
- Inspiration: Freeman said the design was modelled on the Alcázar de Colón in Santo Domingo.
- Gianni Versace: bought the house in 1992 for 2.95 million dollars and the Revere Hotel next door in 1993 for 3.7 million dollars.
- Today: The Villa Casa Casuarina, a luxury hotel with ten suites, open since 2015.
What is the history of Casa Casuarina?
Alden Freeman, a philanthropist and heir to a Standard Oil fortune, built the house in 1930. Casa Casuarina means house of the Australian pine. He said the design was modelled on the Alcázar de Colón, the sixteenth-century palace of the Columbus family in Santo Domingo. Freeman lived there until his death in 1937. The next owner, Jacques Amsterdam, turned it into a 24-unit apartment building known as the Amsterdam Palace, and by the 1980s the building had grown tired, although much of its original detail survived.
When did Gianni Versace buy the mansion?
Gianni Versace bought the house in 1992 for 2.95 million dollars. In 1993 he bought the Revere Hotel next door for 3.7 million dollars and demolished it to make room for a garden and a pool. He turned the apartment building into a private house with eight bedrooms, a library and four living rooms, and added modern systems such as central air conditioning. The pool, lined with thousands of 24-karat gold tiles from Italy, is the detail everyone remembers.
What happened at the Versace mansion in 1997?
Gianni Versace was shot on the front steps of Casa Casuarina on 15 July 1997, aged 50. His sister Donatella took over as creative director of the house, a story told in who is Donatella Versace. The mansion was later sold, and the Versace company has no connection with it today.
Who owns the Versace mansion now?
Peter Loftin bought the house in 2000 for 19 million dollars and renovated it as a boutique hotel, restaurant and event space. In 2013 it was bought for 41.5 million dollars by VM South Beach, a company owned by the Nakash family. Since 2015 it has operated as The Villa Casa Casuarina, a luxury hotel with ten suites, the restaurant Gianni’s and the gold-tiled pool.
How does the mansion connect to Versace style today?
Casa Casuarina is Gianni Versace’s taste in architectural form: classical references, gold, mosaic and a refusal to tone anything down. The same instincts run through the clothes. The Barocco print, born on the runway in 1991, translates gilded scrollwork into silk twill, and the Medusa head comes from the classical world he grew up with in Reggio Calabria. If the mansion is your idea of glamour, start with the Versace dresses guide, the Versace jewellery guide and the story behind the Medusa logo. Every Versace piece at Coveti is 100% authentic, verified by Coveti.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Versace mansion?
The Versace mansion, Casa Casuarina, is at 1116 Ocean Drive in the South Beach neighbourhood of Miami Beach, Florida.
Can you stay at the Versace mansion?
Yes. Since 2015 Casa Casuarina has operated as The Villa Casa Casuarina, a luxury hotel with ten suites and the restaurant Gianni’s.
When did Gianni Versace buy Casa Casuarina?
Gianni Versace bought Casa Casuarina in 1992 for 2.95 million dollars. In 1993 he bought the Revere Hotel next door and demolished it to build the garden and pool.
Who owns the Versace mansion today?
VM South Beach, a company owned by the Nakash family, bought the house in 2013 for 41.5 million dollars. It runs as The Villa Casa Casuarina hotel.
Who built Casa Casuarina?
Casa Casuarina was built in 1930 for Alden Freeman, an heir to a Standard Oil fortune. He said its design was modelled on the Alcázar de Colón in Santo Domingo.
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