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Bidders pay £7m to own Versace 'gem'
Rashid Razaq19.03.09
Possessions from the Italian lakeside home of the murdered fashion designer Gianni Versace sold for £7 million at auction - more than double the asking price.
Hundreds of items from the Villa Fontanelle, including huge classical statues of naked wrestlers, furniture and paintings, were auctioned at Sotheby's in New Bond Street. A spokeswoman said the pre-sale estimate had been £2.8 million but much sold for more than 10 times the expected price. At least 500 people registered to bid.
Mario Tavella, deputy chairman of Sotheby's Europe, said that the sale lasted more than 12 hours, adding: "From the re-creation of the villa's rooms to the hugely enthusiastic bidding, this event epitomised the glamour and vision of Gianni Versace and was a fitting way to mark the sale of his most beloved Lake Como collection."
The highest prices were for a pair of Italian cherry wood bookcases from Versace's bedroom. They fetched £481,250 and £601,250 respectively.
He was shot dead in Miami in 1997.
