The 19,000-square-foot Casa Casuarina in South Beach has 10 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, and a centerpiece to the gated compound is a 54-foot-long pool lined in 24-karat gold and adorned with mosaics, frescos, statues, arched doorway and a courtyard, according to real estate agents with Coldwell Banker.
Versace bought the house in 1992 and spent $33 million on improvements such as a south wing expansion, the pool and garden, the agents said.
Versace was shot to death on the doorstep of his home in 1997, and spree killer Andrew Cunanan is believed to have killed him and four others before Cunanan shot himself in the head on the upper floor of a houseboat in Miami Beach, where he was holed up to avoid police after the Versace shooting.
2010: Versace mansion's new life
Very Versace
In 2000, the house was bought by Peter Loftin, who conserved Versace's touches to the residence, the real estate agents said.
"This is an iconic oasis for the rich-and-famous that sits in the middle of South Beach," Loftin said in a statement. "It's a one-of-a-kind property, created by a genius; that is a piece of art, and a piece of history."
Added real estate agent Jill Eber in statement: "The Casa Casuarina is the crown jewel of luxury real estate."
The house was built in 1930 by architect, philanthropist, author and political reformer Alden Freeman, and its design was inspired by the oldest existing house in the Western Hemisphere, the "Alcazar de Colon" in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the real estate firm said.
The Alcazar de Colon, once a Colonial palace, is the only known home of the family of explorer Christopher Columbus and is now a museum, according to its website.
Walk to the beach & Collins ave.
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