The Villa Casa Casuarina At The Former Versace Mansion
The Villa Casa Casuarina is a large mansion in Miami Beach that blends 1930s Spanish-Mediterranean architecture with extensive renovations from the 1990s. The property features 10 guest rooms, a pool lined with gold-colored tiles topped with a Medusa mosaic, and interiors filled with marble, sculptures, and intricate tilework throughout.
The house was built in 1930 by wealthy oil heir Alden Freeman, who modeled it after a historic residence in Santo Domingo that belonged to Christopher Columbus's son. After Freeman died in 1937, the house changed owners multiple times and fell into disrepair as an apartment building until designer Gianni Versace purchased and extensively renovated it in 1992.
The house is named after the casuarina tree, the only one left standing after a hurricane in 1926 swept the property. Throughout the rooms, you see references to Greek and Roman mythology in statues, mosaics, and decorative symbols that reflect the designer's creative vision.
The hotel sits in South Beach near Ocean Drive with shops, restaurants, and the beach within walking distance. With only 10 rooms, reservations should be made well in advance, and visitors should know that this is an active hotel with private spaces rather than a museum to tour.
The courtyard displays four white pillars known as the pillars of democracy representing four continents, while medallions on the walls show images of historical figures like Cleopatra, Gandhi, and Rockefeller. Freeman owned two original bricks from the Alcazar de Colon in Santo Domingo, and one still sits on the right side of the main entrance today.
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