The mansion near Milan that belonged to the late Silvio Berlusconi could be transformed into a museum dedicated to the divisive three-time Italian prime minister.
Berlusconi, who died in June at the age of 86, bought Villa San Martino, his main residence, in the early 1970s. It is where the billionaire hosted intimate business and political meetings, as well as some of his infamous “bunga bunga” sex parties.
Berlusconi’s will is expected to be read next week. A source within the politician’s Forza Italia party confirmed reports that Villa San Martino, in Arcore, northern Italy, could be turned into a museum, adding that at this stage it was “a general idea” being mulled between Berlusconi’s relatives.
The initial suggestion, according to the newspaper Il Messaggero, is for the mansion to be made available for private tours before eventually opening it up as a museumto the wider public.
But what might visitors get to see?
Berlusconi filled the 70-room mansion with artworks, including those by Rembrandt and Titian, as well as hundreds of portraits – many of himself.
The villa also contains – reportedly in a bathroom – the “contract with the Italians” document that he signed on national TV, and in which he promised to lower taxes, create jobs and build infrastructure, before his victorious general election in 2001.
The library is stocked with more than 10,000 books, including biographies of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, while his office is adorned with gifts from world leaders, including the late Queen Elizabeth II and his friend Muammar Gaddafi.
Once open to visitors, they will be able to pay their respects to Berlusconi in the villa’s huge garden, where he built a marble mausoleum that contains his remains.
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Il Messaggero reported that recordings of Berlusconi’s speeches will be projected throughout the villa’s hallways, while a documentary – Il fiume della libertà (the river of freedom) – made in 2013 to mark the 20th anniversary of Forza Italia – will be aired on a loop.
Berlusconi, who had investments in everything from property and banking to the media and football, left behind an empire estimated at $7.4bn (£5.8bn) as of April 2023, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
He left no indication, at least not publicly, of who would take over his empire after his death; however, a source close to him recently told the Guardian that “everyone would be taken care of, including his ex-wives”. Berlusconi had two children – Marina and Pier Silvio – with Carla Elvira Dall’Oglio, his first wife, and three – Barbara, Eleonora and Luigi – with Veronica Lario, his second.
His vast wealth includes the AC Monza football club, properties, yachts and artworks, but the main asset is Mediaset, Italy’s largest commercial broadcaster and vehicle for his domination of the national debate.