Villa Agnelli and Villa Pesenti

Complex of historical buildings in Forte dei Marmi. Tuscany, Versilia, Italy.

History In 1926 Edoardo Agnelli - son of the senator Giovanni, founder of the FIAT industry and father of Gianni - bought the neo-Renaissance Villa Costanza. This building was buit at the beginning of the '900s by the Admiral Morin, important figure in Italian military History.

Thus the Villa Agnelli was born and it became more and more famous as time went by. The illustrious family spent their holidays here for more than thirty years. Today, the Villa Agnelli is one of the central areas of the Augustus Hotel & Resort, built in the '50s on the foundation of another famous mansion, constructed in the 1930's.

The Agnelli family commissioned an underground passage to have direct access to the beach without having to cross the crowded boulevard. To this day, this secret passage is one of a kind in all the Versilian territory.

The bathing establishment was initially just constitued by a tool shed and garage for the family's hydroplane. Today it has become one of the most emblematic structures of Forte dei Marmi and it still preserves that unique charm that Susanna Agnelli described in her autobiography "We always wore sailor suits" (1983).

The original nucleus of the Hotel is represented by the Villa Pesenti, a jewel of modern architecture, designed in 1939 by renowned architect Osvaldo Borsani. It is a clear example of rationalist architecture, embellished with typical mediterranean finishes. In 1953 the family added a storey to the Villa, transforming it into the residence that was the only Luxury Hotel&Resort in Versilia for more than twenty years. Around this main structure, seven villas were built in the following years, by different artists and architects.

Famous people Many important artists, actors, sportsmen and prominent cultural figures have spent their vacation in the villas of the Augustus Hotel&Resort: Jimi Hendrix, Charlton Heston, Oriana Fallaci, Eugenio Montale, Francesco Messina, Mario Monicelli, Paul Anka, Vittorio Gassman and many others. To this day, the Hotel is the first choice of famous people and important families that decide to spend their Holidays in Forte dei Marmi.