Perhaps more widely known as the Versace Mansion, Casa Casuarina was the residence of late fashion designer Gianni Versace. Long before Versace, however, the 1930 building was known as the Amsterdam Palace. A Mediterranean Revival house constructed partially of coral and featuring exposed timbers, the three-story palace was modeled after the Governor’s House in Santo Domingo (where Christopher Columbus’ son laid his head). When Versace purchased the property in the early 1980s, he locked horns with local preservationists after announcing plans to tear down a neighboring hotel so he could build a pool. After a battle, the moneyed designer won – but also struck a deal that would allow for law changes, saving more than 200 other historic hotels in the process.
