Gianni Versace's Opulent Mansion Headed for Auction Block

Gianni Versace was at the apex of the fashion world when he was murdered at the age of 50 in 1997. Now the opulent South Beach, Fla., mansion where he lived and died is going to auction, with bids starting at a fraction of the price at which the home was once listed.

"Originally built in 1930," The Associated Press reports, "the 10-bedroom, 11-bathroom, gated home features a 54-foot long mosaic pool lined with 24-karat gold. It also includes numerous frescoes, statues, arched doorways and an open air courtyard." Versace bought the property in 1992 and poured $33 million into renovations and improvements, including the addition of an entire wing. Versace was murdered at the home's entrance in 1997.

In recent years, the 23,000-square-foot Casa Casuarina, as the property is known, had served as a 10-room boutique hotel called the Villa by Barton G., which closed earlier this year. The luxurious residence had at one time been on the market for $125 million, its owner saying that he kept Versace's design choices -- but he did not find a buyer.

Bids in the home auction will start in September at $25 million. As described in the video above, however, the price that the seller will settle for could be higher.

TOUR THE GIANNI VERSACE MANSION:
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