[imagesource:marcomancini/hshprincenicolòandhshprincessritaboncompagniludovisi,rome]

Shame, Princess Rita Jenrette Boncompagni Ludovisi was finally given the boot from Villa Aurora, or Casino dell’Aurora more officially, last week Thursday.

Her life in the famously expensive villa came to an end as part of a legal dispute with the children of her late husband, Prince Nicolo Boncompagni.

Princess Rita and Prince Nicolò wed in 2009 and lived at the sprawling villa, also known as the Villa Ludovisi, during their marriage. But since the death of the prince in 2018, his children have been fighting to get their home back, claiming that it has been in their family since the early 1 600s, reported PEOPLE.

Princess Rita was made to sell the house at an auction after an inheritance dispute between her and her three stepchildren, but there were no bids just cricket chirps. Probably because of the hefty price tag (appraised recently at around R9,7 billion) on top of the cost of the extensive renovations needed.

Prince Bante Boncompagni Ludovisi, the princess’s stepson, reckons the renovations will cost about 11 million euros (about R221 million).

At the end of the day, worth it, because the villa is covered in artwork depicting various Gods:

Image: Marco Mancini/ HSH Prince Nicolò and HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, Rome

Now the Italian court has ordered the home to be sold and Rita to be kicked out:

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.

The Texas-born princess has called the eviction 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.”

“I see no logic in this,” she said, according to the BBC. “I was a good custodian for the villa.”

Apparently, Roman law enforcement officials changed the locks on the door before Princess Rita finished leaving the home, and she has told reporters that she is going to be writing a book about the ordeal. That’s one way to keep the cash flowing after losing your fairytale home.

It’s an incredible place and certainly a huge loss for Rita. The six-story villa is home to the famed Caravaggio mural featuring gods Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto, as well as the zodiac signs:

Image: YouTube/Forbes

The painting – completed in 1597, but first discovered in the late 1960s after being covered for years – is definitely the biggest cause of the villa’s eye-popping price. The painting alone is estimated to have a value of €310m (R6,2 billion).

The name of the villa comes from another amazing art piece, though; a fresco painted by Italian Baroque artist Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Guercino. It shows the goddess Aurora, or Dawn, on her chariot:

Image: Creazilla

There is more to this dizzying array of historical items, including letters written by Marie Antoinette, a Michelangelo statue in the garden, and a telescope that Galileo Galilei gifted the Ludovosis.

Check out this video tour of the house:

Perhaps the Roman authorities just need to circumvent all the family fighting and keep this historical monument in the public domain. There, easy.

[source:people]