Versace mansion now open to tourists

Travel

Versace's mansion on South Beach in MIami has opened its doors, first as an invitation-only private club, then allowing non-members to stay in its ornate rooms, and now to the masses; or at least anyone willing to plunk down $65 for a tour.

TOURISTS POSE for photos outside Casa Casuarina, the former home of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace. Before his death, Versace's celebrity friends stayed so often rooms were outfitted with them in mind. After his murder it became home to another mogul. But 1116 Ocean Drive has opened its doors now to the masses, or at least anyone willing to plunk down $65 for a tour or a starting price of $1,200 for a night's stay.

THE POOL as seen from The Rotunda at Casa Casuarina. A centerpiece of the tour, the pool is made of more than a million Italian mosaic tiles and 24-karat gold pieces. Its design was inspired by a Versace scarf and was created in Italy, broken down, shipped in numbered sections and reassembled here.

A SCULPTURE sits at the entrance to the house. Pass through the limestone arch into the courtyard and the fuss all makes sense. The trickle of water from a fountain, the shift of clouds above, the tickle of Atlantic breezes -- the simple beauty of each is enhanced by the home's lavishness.

THE COURTYARD. Every inch of the place, every detail, is full of thought and history. And yet it feels intimate and generally not over-the-top.

A FOUNTAIN in the courtyard. Modeled after Alcazar de Colon, the Dominican Republic house built by Christopher Columbus' family in 1510, Casa Casuarina is a three-story, Mediterranean-style home surrounded by a high wall on a fashionable stretch of Ocean Drive. It was built in 1930 by Standard Oil heir Alden Freeman, later became a hotel, spiraled into disrepair, and was at one point a hostel with rooms as little as $1 a night.

THE DINING ROOM. Those who take the tour may stay for breakfast or lunch. But it will come at a price. Salads, pasta and a bottle of water were sumptuous, but the tab was about $120.

TILE FLOORS at Casa Casuarina. The hour-long tour includes the central courtyard, dining room, lounges, the pool and a look at a marble toilet with a golden seat, billed as one of only three in the world.

A VIEW of the Atlantic Ocean is seen from the rooftop. Upstairs is off-limits to tourists. To get a glimpse, you must be a club member or a paying guest.

A LION RUG in the Safari Room. The home is full of tapestries, sculptures and paintings.

MADONNA STAYED in this bedroom often when Versace was alive. There's one bathtub put in for Madonna in a house full of showers.

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TOURISTS POSE for photos outside Casa Casuarina, the former home of Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace. Before his death, Versace's celebrity friends stayed so often rooms were outfitted with them in mind. After his murder it became home to another mogul. But 1116 Ocean Drive has opened its doors now to the masses, or at least anyone willing to plunk down $65 for a tour or a starting price of $1,200 for a night's stay.

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