Princess Rita Jenrette Boncompagni Ludovisi
A US-born princess is in danger of being evicted from her crumbling villa in Rome, which features a Caravaggio artwork on the ceiling.
According to The Independent, Princess Rita Jenrette Boncompagni Ludovisi, nee Rita Carpenter, abandoned the Casino dell'Aurora off the swank Via Veneto hours after Carabinieri police arrived to enforce a court-mandated eviction order. Before she had even left, a locksmith changed the locks on the big green front door.
Her dramatic exit capped a remarkable, years-long soap opera involving one of Rome's aristocratic families.
The Boncompagni Ludovisi are perhaps best known for having produced Pope Gregory XIII.
But lately, they have attracted more attention due to the inheritance dispute and court-mandated auction of their famous villa in the heart of Rome.
"What did I do to deserve this?" "It's a mystery to me-why are they so intent on getting me out of here?", the 73-year-old Boncompagni Ludovisi told reporters while holding her puppy.
Princess Boncompagni Ludovisi, a former actress, Playboy model, ex-wife of a US congressman, and New York real estate broker, married the late Prince Nicolo Boncompagni Ludovisi, scion of one of Europe's most aristocratic families, in 2009.
Following the prince's death in 2018, she has been locked in an inheritance feud with her three stepsons.
However, Nicolo stipulated in his will that his wife would have the right to live there for the rest of her life and that she and his sons would share any income from its sale.
The sons challenged this, though, which led to a legal dispute.