£17m Rome villa lost for love of Loren
HE was branded a ‘ public sinner’, threatened with excommunication by the Vatican and faced prosecution for bigamy after he fell in love with, and married, Sophia Loren.
But the late Italian film producer Carlo Ponti did not just lose his reputation – he gave up the home he shared with his first wife Giuliana for love.
Now the magnificent 7,000sq ft villa, which is set in one of Rome’s most exclusive areas, and comes with a swimming pool, guest villa, garage and over two acres of gardens, has gone on sale for just over £17million.
The property, which has a Roman vault and mosaic floors depicting the head of Medusa, is being marketed by luxury estate agents Lionard.
Down the years it hosted Hollywood stars Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn and the British film director David Lean. Lionard’s brochure states: ‘In the Appian Way Archaeological Park, in Rome, just ten minutes from the Colosseum, there is this beautiful luxury villa for sale.
‘This property was home to many famous Italian and Hollywood movie stars who stayed here while filming in
‘She was someone remarkable’
Cinecittà studios.’ Ponti, who died in 2007, was a 37-year- old father- of-two, when he met 16-year-old actress Sofia Scicolone in a nightclub and was entranced. ‘I knew immediately that she was someone remarkable,’ he said afterwards. By the age of 21 she was an international star. But, when Loren began filming The Pride and the Passion in 1957 with Cary Grant, Ponti faced a love rival.
Loren, now aged 83, reportedly gave him an ultimatum, marry her, or lose her to the actor.
However, Ponti was not legally divorced and that year he asked lawyers to marry him and Loren by proxy in Mexico.
The Vatican did not recognise the marriage, branded them ‘public sinners’ and threatened to excommunicate them for bigamy. They were forced to annul their marriage in 1962, only remarrying in 1966 after Giuliana finally divorced the Doctor Zhivago producer.
Ponti and Loren’s marriages, spanning 50 years, were among the longest in showbusiness and she credited him with caring for her like no other man had ever done. His family stayed in the villa until the 1980s when it was bought and restored by the current sellers.