After tying the knot in 1957, Carlo Ponti promised Sophia Loren "the most beautiful house in the world," which he found in Marino, Italy, just outside of Rome. A lavish 16th-century mansion, the 50-room property, named Villa Sara, was the crown jewel in Carlo and Sophia's extensive property portfolio, which includes a decadent apartment in Geneva, Switzerland , that the actress counts as her primary residence. Designed in the Baroque style, Villa Sara blended both Roman and Renaissance influences and could easily rival any royal residence with its opulent decor.
Boasting a grand guest house and a 20-hectare park, the couple's love nest featured an art gallery, a private cinema, a stable, an aqueduct, a tennis court, and an orchard. A duo with unlimited star power, in 1964, Sophia and Carlo invited LIFE photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt into their striking abode, which was decked out with marble pillars and busts. Among the many iconic pictures that he captured that day, Alfred took a snapshot of Sophia swimming in their huge pool, which was nestled between two grand staircases leading back up to the mansion's guest house.
Alfred also toured the maximalist living room. Resplendent in every sense of the word, the walls were lined with frescos of sprawling landscapes, and almost all of the antique furniture was dripping in gold, much like the intimidatingly large chandelier which hung overhead. Sophia Loren's rarely-seen home in Switzerland where she raised her family Audrey Hepbu.
