Yahoo News Texas-Born Princess Evicted from $533M Rome Villa Built Over 450 Years Ago Amid Inheritance Dispute
Princess Rita Jenrette Boncompagni Ludovisi was evicted from the Casino dell'Aurora on Thursday as part of a legal dispute with the children of her late husband, Prince Nicolo Boncompagni
A Texas-born princess has been evicted from a villa in Rome built more than 450 years ago and features a mural painted by famed artist Caravaggio, per multiple reports.
Princess Rita Jenrette Boncompagni Ludovisi, formerly Rita Carpenter of San Antonio, left the Casino dell'Aurora in the Italian city on Thursday after police appeared at the residence to enforce a court-mandated eviction from the $533 million residence, according to the Associated Press and CNN.
An Italian court ordered the home to be sold as part of an inheritance dispute between Princess Rita and the sons of her late husband, Prince Nicolo Boncompagni, who died in 2018, per the reports.
Princess Rita claimed in a video that the eviction was a "travesty" in addition to being "illegal" and "unnecessary," according to the BBC.
"Someone said it's because I'm a woman and I'm American — I don't know," she said, per the report, later adding, the move was "all about money, obviously."
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Princess Rita and Prince Nicolo wed in 2009, according to the AP. The couple lived together at the Casino dell'Aurora, also known as the Villa Ludovisi, during their marriage.
The dispute over the property began shortly after the death of the prince, whose children say the home has been in their family since the early 1600s, per the report.
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In January, Roman Judge Miriam Iappelli ordered Princess Rita be evicted from the residence, which a court appraised at $533 million, and accused her of violating a previous order that forbade guided tours of the property, according to the AP.
Local authorities attempted to auction off the villa on four separate occasions between January and October of 2022, but no bids were submitted, per CNN's report.
The six-story villa is home to the famed Caravaggio mural featuring gods Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto, as well as the zodiac signs, the BBC reported.
The painting was completed in 1597, but was first discovered in the late 1960s after being covered for years, per the outlet.
The AP reports that the presence of the only known ceiling painted by Caravaggio at the home is a reason for the property's eye-popping price tag.
Prince Bante Boncompagni Ludovisi, the princess's stepson, told reporters Thursday that the home "needs renovations," according to the AP. Those are expected to cost at about 11 million euros (about $12.1 million).
"The pipelines of water need to be restored and the frescoes are in danger," he added, later noting that the building needed to be brought up to code.
Roman law enforcement officials changed the locks on the door before Princess Rita finished leaving the home, according CNN and the AP.
The princess, who was previously married to Republican U.S. Rep. John Jenrette, told reporters that she is writing a book about the ordeal, per the reports.
"I see no logic in this," she said, according to the BBC. "I was a good custodian for the villa."
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