ENC Walking Tour 10 april 18 PDF

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Walking Tour Versace...

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Stephanie Munoz Rivera ENC 1930 Professor Enzu Castellanos 16 April 2018 The Versace Mansion Walking Tour Video

Hi, my name is Stephanie Munoz Rivera. I’m an FIU student in the class ENC 1930, and today I will be showing you the most famous house in Miami, and one of the most famous houses in North America, the Villa Casa Casuarina; better known as “The Versace House” due to its former owner, the Italian fashion designer, Gianni Versace. Welcome to Casa Casuarina. Stop 1: History The Villa Casa Casuarina was built in 1930 by the architect named Alden Freeman, heir to Standard Oil Trust. Freeman built Casa Casuarina as a homage to the Alcazar De Colon1. This house passed through a number of owners until Versace laid eyes on it in 1992, while he was on vacation with his family in Miami. Gianni Versace took a walk down Ocean Drive and was immediately attracted to this house by the “Kneeling Aphrodite” statue at the entrance, and fell in love with the unique Spanish architecture of the property. Donatella Versace once said “Gianni just stopped in front of the building and said, ‘I want this house.’ so he decided to buy it”.

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A house in Dominican Republic which is now a museum.

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Along with the Casa Casuarina, Versace also purchased Hotel Revere on the lot next door for $3.7 million. He demolished the Hotel Revere and used the land for his garden, guesthouse, and of course the epic swimming pool. Versace spent over $35 million on elaborate renovations and a complete redecoration with unique details that characterized him. Today, the Versace Mansion lives on as a boutique hotel, it has 10 luxury suites, two kitchens, three sitting rooms, 10 bathrooms, a bar, a library, a spa, roof-top lounge, outdoor swimming pool, a restaurant called Gianni’s and four living rooms. The Versace Mansion is the third most photographed home in America, after the White House and Graceland. As you will see in this tour, his passion for haute couture fashion was captured in the designs of this mansion, where he lived until his tragic murder in 1997. Stop 2: Entrance to Courtyard and Pool Standing in front of the mansion you can see the huge black and gold gates with symbols of Medusa, and inside the gates, the famous “Kneeling Aphrodite” in bronze. In front of the Kneeling Aphrodite is a historical marker of Medusa in pure gold, which represents Gianni's designs, his passion for Greek mythology, his inspirations, and what his fashion designs represent, which was to invoke the goddess of each woman and make the woman feel powerful. Proceeding through the main doors, we find ourselves in the beautiful courtyard, this is the centerpiece of the house, where you can smell the sea close by and witness the amazing fountain that combines all the unique greek, mythological aspects of the house. After seeing the fountain, we now walk into the heart of the house, the Million Mosaic pool along the mosaic garden. This pool was inspired by Versace's " Marine Vanitas" collection and contains thousands of 24karat gold tiles. The main character of

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the pool is Poseidon; God of the Sea. The floor in front of the pool is marble, and in the middle of the floor we can see the largest image of Versace’s Medusa logo on the property. Stop 3: Restaurant At sundown, this pool becomes part of the luxurious Gianni's Restaurant. This restaurant is where Gianni has his dinning room. Here, you can taste a delicious Italian Mediterranean menu, in honor of Versace, or even eat his favorite meal. This is accompanied by a luxurious romantic atmosphere, lovely views to the illuminated pool in front of your table, and the Mediterranean art sorrounding the mosaic garden. Dining in this place is like dining with the visionary Gianni, since you’re enjoying the environment and the setting he designed to satisfy the taste of his famous houseguests and himself. This was also the setting for the lavish parties that Versace hosted for his famous guests, including celebrities like Madonna, Princess Diana, Elton John and other famous icons. They frequently spent the night at his mansion. Donatella Versace once stated in a interview, "All of sudden, what was going on in L.A. moved here when Gianni came here... All the fashion shoots were happening here. Music people, fashion people, actors, he attracted everyone here". Stop 4: Rooms Making our way through the spiral staircase, we can now see the three suites sections in this establishment, the Superior section, the Exceptional section and the One Bedroom section. Each bedroom is a dream, they have big sized beds, custom italian marble showers, and stunning original Versace features. Gianni had specific rooms in the villa that were designed with specific guests in mind. Each section has three types of rooms; The Superior section includes; The Empire Suite, which has a sitting room and a king-

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sized bed. This suite brings us back to the Ottoman Empire with its murals of sultans and it features a soothing honey and jewel-toned color scheme. Next, we have The Azure Suite, Daniel Versace's2 room. This suite features a king-sized bed and two full-sized beds. Lastly in the Superior section, The Aviary Suite, where parrots, hummingbirds and doves decorate the walls, has a king-sized bed with private terrace and sitting room. This was the room of Gianni's niece Allegra. The Exceptional section includes; The Medallion Suite with its patio overlooking the mosaic pool, features a sitting alcove, a king-sized bed and an oversized, custom shower. Next, we have The Mosaic Suite with red and cream interiors, which features an Italian mosaic floor, an oversized sunken jacuzzi tub and a patio overlooking the Thousand Mosaic Pool. This was Madonna’s favorite suite to stay in, and it was designed for Donatella. Included in this section, The Aurora Suite, has a four-poster king-sized bed topped with swans assures sleep and relaxation fit for royalty. The last section is the most famous one, the One Bedroom section. This section includes; The Villa Suite, this was the Gianni Versace's room. As soon as you enter through its unique round foyer, you are transported to the quarters of one of fashion’s greatest minds. With its decadent custom double king-sized bed and mural-covered walls. The Villa Suite features two balconies, one overlooking Ocean Drive which serves as an inspiration to Gianni, a bedroom sitting alcove, the largest closet in the mansion, and a custom oversized double-head shower.

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Gianni Versace's brother

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Afterwards, we have The Venus Suite, the largest room in The Villa and it was the room of Donatella Versace, the spacious suite features custom double queensized bed, a separate sitting area and two balconies, one overlooking Ocean Drive and the second, overlooking the Thousand Mosaic Pool. Finally, we have The Signature Suite, with its custom double queen-sized bed an oversized double-head shower and double sink, a walk-in closet and a second balcony off the bedroom. The Santos Versace's former room, features a balcony overlooking Ocean Drive and the sands of Miami Beach. Final Stop: Roof-Top Stroulling through the halls, the designs, artwork and walls are true Versace, a plethora of colors, textures, patterns and technology merged to produce a stunning look.While walking around the Villa, we see historical items and many mythological artworks brought exclusively for Gianni Versace when he lived in this mansion. Now towards the end, reaching the top of the Villa you'll be on the roof-top, where there are comfortable sofas in shades of blues and corals which offer views of South Beach. This being the same roof-top that Gianni spent long nights looking for inspiration for his fashion creations, and also being the place he used for entertaining his guests and his friends. To conclude this walking tour, despite the tragic event of the murder of Versace in the steps of this house, his legacy lives on through the art-filled walls, because this mansion today stands and remains as a tribute to his former glory, celebrating his life more than his death. Thanks for watching....