Realtor: Inside the Gianni Versace Mansion: Did ‘American Crime Story’ Get It Right?

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Inside the Gianni Versace Mansion: Did ‘American Crime Story’ Get It Right?

Ralf Lutter/ullstein bild via Getty Images

Gianni Versace is back in the public eye, thanks to the new FX series “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” which premiered last night to big ratings.

This nine-episode series recounts the superstar fashion designer’s 1997 murder, committed by serial killer Andrew Cunanan, on the steps of Versace’s palatial home in Miami Beach. While watching this horrific crime unfold is riveting, to be sure, what’s just as fascinating (particularly to us at realtor.com®) is Versace’s house itself. Seriously, it is over. The. Top!

Called Casa Casuarina, Versace’s Mediterranean-style mansion is now a boutique hotel with the same name, and the third-most photographed property in the United States, right behind the White House and Graceland. The setting was used to film parts of this series. Which got us wondering: How closely does the home lavishly displayed on our TVs resemble the original residence where Versace once lived?

To find out, we took screenshots from the series and compared them to archived photographs of the home back when Versace lived there. We have to say that, in general, the producers did a fantastic job of representing the home as it truly was, in all its gold-plated, mosaic-tiled glory. Check ’em out!

The Versace mansion entrance

The reality: Here’s a 1997 photo of Casa Casuarina’s entrance, right where Versace was assassinated as he was coming back from a morning stroll. The majestic black iron gates trimmed in gold make for a haunting backdrop for this grisly murder.

Gianni Versace’s house, Ocean Drive, Miami Beach

In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images

The TV version: And here’s a shot from the series. We’d say that looks pretty accurate, except for the addition of some potted palm trees flanking the steps. The plants are a nice addition!

A view from the TV series shows Gianni Versace in front of his mansion just before he is murdered.

The Versace mansion foyer

The reality: Here’s a 1996 photograph of the foyer right inside the front door. Talk about a grand entrance! You have to love the courtyard, which lets you look up at the loggias above and the sky.

The front foyer of the Versace mansion

Marc Serota/Getty Images

The TV version: And here’s a shot from the TV show. It’s taken from the opposite end of the foyer, so it looks a little different, but you can easily see that the film crew went all out to replicate every detail, right down to the patio cushions.

Gianni Versace walks through the front foyer in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.”

The Versace mansion pool

The reality: Here’s a 1997 shot of Versace’s courtyard swimming pool, with its ample lounge area. And although you can’t see it, the pool is lined with 24-karat gold tile.

The courtyard swimming pool at the Versace mansion

Marc Serota/Getty Images

The TV version: This time, the “American Crime Story” film crew wasn’t quite as faithful to the original, adding green couch cushions rather than the black ones above. But hey, maybe Versace had numerous cushion sets that he swapped out based on his mood.