Nobody wants to buy the imposing Roman palace in which the only known mural by Caravaggio is preserved. The property went up for auction this Tuesday, for a minimum value of 353 million euros, and as the organizers of the bid have confirmed to this newspaper, no offers have been submitted, so it has been declared deserted and will be tried again within a few months, with a reduction in the starting price. Although the expert who evaluated the villa, full of works of art, had raised the estimate to 471 million euros and the experts insist that its value is "incalculable".
The bid, dubbed by the Italian media as "the auction of the century", has also taken place amid protests in the world of culture, which has asked the Italian State to exercise its right of first refusal and take over this Baroque jewel due to its high historical and cultural value.
Until there is a firm offer from a private buyer, the State will not be able to exercise its preferential right.
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Luxury villa for sale in Rome, includes the only known mural by Caravaggio
The Villa da Aurora, a six-storey palace built at the end of the 16th century and surrounded by an immense garden, hides in one of its rooms the only known mural by Caravaggio with the representation of the gods Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto.
The painting is preserved in good condition, despite the fact that the baroque genius did not use the fresco technique, which is more widespread for this type of creation, but rather that of oil on stucco.
Normally, the works in which this procedure has been used tend to deteriorate easily.
View of the Villa Ludovisi complex in an engraving by Giovanni Battista from 1683. DEA / ICAS94 (De Agostini via Getty Images)
La Villa de la Aurora, traditional residence of the Ludovisi family, throughout history has been the cradle of cardinals and even two Popes. In addition, it houses numerous works of art, such as the fresco that gives the town its name, the allegory of Aurora, the work of Guercino, an exponent of Roman baroque, which is preserved in the central room of the palace, along with pieces of other painters such as Dominichino, Paul Bril or Giambattista Viola. The exterior is also impressive, full of sculptures from the classical and baroque periods, although many have already been sold.
The French writer Stendhal described the garden of the Villa Ludovisi as one of the most beautiful in the world. The professor of art history at Sapienza in Rome Alessandro Zuccari, who participated in 2019 in the appraisal of the building and the multiple works inside and outside, has defined the villa as "a unit of architecture, painting, sculpture and unique decoration in the world”. A judge ordered its auction because the heirs of its last owner, the aristocrat Nicolò Boncompagni Ludovisi, who died in 2018, faced each other, were unable to maintain it and had to pay a tax debt. Currently, the American actress Rita Jenrette, widow of Boncompagni Ludovisi, from whom she also inherited the title of princess, lives in the building.
This artistic and architectural treasure has already aroused in the past the appetite of philanthropists, patrons and art lovers eager to land in Italy.
The founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, offered some 200 million dollars (about 176 million euros) 15 years ago and, according to local press, the Sultan of Brunei has also tried to take over the property.
At that time Prince Nicolò Boncompagni Ludovisi declined the offers.
It is unknown if this time they will participate in the bid.
View of the Villa Ludovisi Boncompagni, in Rome, taken last week. LAURENT EMMANUEL (AFP)
Only those who had deposited 10% of the initial price were admitted to the auction and at least one million had to be offered each time to raise the offer.
Once the auction has failed, subsequent sales will begin with a minimum price reduced by 20% compared to the initial one.
The possibility that the palace, owned by one of Italy's best-known and most powerful aristocratic families, could fall into foreign hands has sparked protests from the world of culture, which has called on the state to intervene.
In recent days, a campaign has been launched through Change.org, entitled "SOS Culture on sale at a discount", which has collected more than 35,000 signatures, for Italy to exercise its right to purchase. "Let's use European funds to safeguard something that is ours," the petition reads. According to local media, the Minister of Culture, Dario Franceschini, has sent a letter to the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, and the Minister of the Economy, Daniele Franco, to ask if he should take a step forward and, if so, how to do it. According to the legislation, the ministry could make use of its right of first refusal within 60 days after the purchase of the palace by a private citizen, offering the same amount of money with which the auction was closed. If, on the other hand, the town continued in private hands,there would continue to be the possibility of opening the doors for visits that are requested, as has been done up to now.
For the moment, the Government has not ruled on the issue because it could interfere with the auction, but sources from the Ministry of Culture have limited themselves to slipping that the value of the palace's output represents a quarter of the ministerial budget for a year.