Leonardo Da Vinci’s Home And Vineyard Gets Bought Over By LVMH Boss

The building that Leonardo da Vinci once called home now has another famous name written on its walls. Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has acquired Casa Degli Atellani in Milan, a residence and vineyard that belonged to the legendary polymath.

Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera reports that Arnault purchased the property from its previous owners, the descendants of the Conti and Portaluppi families, for an unspecified amount. One can imagine it’s the kind of money even billionaires can only dream of—as of the time of publication, Arnault stands as the richest person in the world, often taking turns to claim the ranking with Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk.

Built at the end of the 15th century, Casa Degli Atellani was donated by Ludovico il Moro, the Duke of Milan, to Da Vinci in 1498, when the great artist was in the area to paint his momentous work, The Last Supper.

The mansion went under new ownership through the years before reaching the hands of senator and entrepreneur Ettore Conti in 1919. It was Conti’s son-in-law, a prominent architect named Piero Portaluppi, who restored the property.

Da Vinci’s former vineyard, spanning 16 rows and around two acres, had been run down after years of neglect. It was eventually revived in 2014, before being unveiled in public for the first time at Expo 2015 in Milan.

The home, replete with frescos and statues, has welcomed visitors as a museum ever since.

Although it features six for-rent apartments and has a vineyard that’s now alive and well, how Casa Degli Atellani will be used or repurposed by its new owner remains a mystery.

[via WWD and Luxury Launches, images via various sources]