When the sons of a centuries-old noble Roman family and the American widow of their father, the prince, can't decide who gets to live in the family's priceless villa, a forced auction ensues! Princess Rita, a glamorous American, has been living in her late husband, Prince Nicolò Boncompagni Ludovisi's historic family home, Villa Aurora, since they wed over a decade ago. It was the American princess who insisted that the villa, and its priceless art collection, should not be left to languish unseen, but should be restored and made available to the public on a very part time basis. According to Prince Nicolò's will, although the villa will pass to his sons, his widow has the right to live there for the rest of her life. But the sons don't agree, and now the family feud has led to a forced auction. The only catch is that the starting price is nearly half a billion dollars (perhaps because of the original Caravaggio mural in one of the rooms, not to mention the fact that the villa is located on Via Veneto with its own grounds!). Tiffany has visited Villa Aurora, and Katy used to go to church with Princess Rita (although she had no idea then who she was!). This week we talk about that magnificent place, our opinion on who has the right to it, the and our speculations on what everyday life would be life living in a veritable museum—with a Caravaggio painting over your head at any time day or night. Hear Tiffany's description of Villa Aurora just after visiting on Bittersweet Moment #30: Villa Aurora. On Episode 218: Postcards, Katy describes seeing Princess Rita shortly after the death of her husband, although at the time of taping, she had no idea who she was. Find out how the auction went here. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!