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Donatella Versace just dropped $5.6 million on a pink stucco villa in Italy that's hosted famous guests like Ernest Hemingway and Walt Disney - take a look inside the mansion.

Aug 9, 2019, 18:15 IST

Carlo Allegri/Reuters

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  • Barron's reports that fashion designer Donatella Versace just purchased a villa that overlooks Lake Maggiore in northern Italy.
  • The lavish home has a rich history and was previously owned by Italian publisher Arnoldo Mondadori, who frequently invited famous writers like Thomas Mann and Ernest Hemingway to stay at the villa.
  • The 64-year-old designer purchased the villa for approximately €5 million (roughly $5.6 million), according to brokerage firm Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Donatella Versace has added another home to her real estate portfolio.

The 64-year-old fashion designer bought a villa previously owned by famed Italian publisher Arnoldo Mondadori. The villa was initially listed with brokerage firm Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore, though the sale was made without their mediation, according to a press release provided by the company. Versace purchased the luxurious home (which was last asking €4.8 million, according to Mansion Global) for around €5 million (or approximately $5.6 million).

Read more: An $88 million mansion in NYC with a panic room and a Versailles-inspired dining room has gotten a $26 million price chop over 6 years - take a look inside

The mansion, known as Villa Mondadori, is located in Meina, a small coastal town in northern Italy that overlooks Lake Maggiore. Much like Lake Como, Maggiore is considered a hotspot for wealthy international buyers.

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Read on to learn more about the estate and its history - including the famous guests who have stayed in its 20 bedrooms - and to take a closer look at the property.

Villa Mondadori is one of the most famous homes on Lake Maggiore, which borders Italy's Lombardy and Piemonte regions.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore, TripSavvy

The long and narrow lake, located to the south of the Alps, is Italy's second-largest lake and also borders Switzerland. Milan is Maggiore's nearest major Italian city, with Malpensa Airport located only 12 miles south of it.

Source: TripSavvy

Many towns touch the shore of the roughly 40-mile long lake. Villa Mondadori, in particular, is located in the town of Meina.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore, TripSavvy

Donatella Versace recently bought the lakefront home for about €5 million (or around $5.6 million).

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

The 1,400 square meter (about 15,000 square feet) villa, initially listed by Engel & Völkers, has four floors.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

Across the four floors, there is a total of 50 rooms. That includes 20 bedrooms ...

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

... and 12 bathrooms.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

The villa directly overlooks the lake.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

Many of the estate's rooms have clear views of the lake and mountains just outside their windows.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

As if the natural landscape isn't enough, the home also features a swimming pool and a garden.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

The mansion was previously owned by Arnoldo Mondadori, an Italian publisher. The Mondadori family bought the villa in the 1920s.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

In Mondadori's day, the pink stucco mansion housed a number of famous guests.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

This includes Walt Disney, who in 1935 signed a deal with the publisher for a children's series based on Disney's characters.

Source: Gruppo Mondadori

Some of the most renowned writers of the 20th century also stayed in Mondadori's many bedrooms, including Thomas Mann and Ernest Hemingway.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

While his famous guests were visiting, Mondadori would have them sign their names on a fireplace.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

That original fireplace — signatures and all — is still intact.

Source: Engel & Völkers Lago Maggiore

After Mondadori lived there and before Versace purchased it, the property functioned as a bed and breakfast for those visiting the Alps.

Source: Barron's

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