Giorgio Armani, who died at the age of 91, left behind a huge legacy. The main one is the Armani Group company, but also a number of luxury properties located in unique locations around the world.
The designer, who had no children, loved traveling abroad, a passion that extended to his love of real estate, which led him to buy properties all over the world, from an island house on Pantelleria, Italy, to a condo in New York.
Although Armani lived mostly in an apartment in central Milan, his home in Saint-Tropez seems to have provided him with a much-needed refuge from city life.
Armani acquired numerous villas and estates in a number of European locations throughout his life, including a sprawling estate on Pantelleria, a little-known Italian island where he owned seven houses, reports Realtor.
Known as Cala Gadir, the mansion became one of Armani's most prized homes - serving as a summer getaway for the designer and his loved ones for years after he bought it in 1979.
Known as the “black pearl“ of the Mediterranean, Pantelleria is far from the luxurious and exotic paradise that some might have expected Armani to have chosen when he bought the house. The designer revealed to Condé Nast Traveler in 2016 that the island had no electricity when he first arrived. "I lived here when there was no electricity on the island," he said.
However, Armani has added his own lavish style to the property, transforming all seven residences in his own unique way, although he explained to the publication that he never tried (or wanted) to turn the island into something it is not, but instead embraced the simplicity of the lifestyle it offers.
In addition to his spacious villa in Saint-Tropez and his Italian island getaway, the designer also owned an additional vacation home on the Caribbean island of Antigua. The property is located on a clifftop overlooking the ocean, in an exclusive residential complex that houses just 25 villas, each more impressive than the next.
According to a 2020 Forbes profile, Armani purchased the home for an undisclosed price in 2006 after falling in love with Antigua, which he described as “one of the most picturesque islands in the Caribbean“.
His sprawling estate on the island consists of two villas that he purchased around the same time, known as Villa Flower and Villa Serena. Both properties feature their own swimming pool, gym, spa and terrace, as well as stunning interior decor by the fashion legend's own brand, Armani Casa.
Armani Casa was also used to design his beloved superyacht Main, which was built for him by Italian company Codecasa and is believed to have hosted numerous Hollywood stars over the years. Armani spent about 6 weeks each summer sailing the Mediterranean with his loved ones aboard the 65-meter ship, which was launched in 2008.
Armani couldn't completely escape city life - a fact he made clear in 2019 when he snatched a stunning New York City penthouse for the staggering price of $17.5 million. The four-bedroom apartment, located atop a building on Central Park West, featured a very distinctive church-inspired aesthetic, with beautiful stained glass windows that filled each room with a rainbow of light. The property had a huge terrace that offered a gorgeous view of Central Park.
Five years after purchasing the home, the designer solidified his commitment to the Big Apple when he presented a new fashion show in Manhattan to mark the opening of his new building in the city.
“For me, New York has always been associated with the many films that have deeply shaped my imagination,“ he said, according to the ag. Reuters.
„The thought of the city in the 1930s and 1940s never ceases to inspire me and I evoke this mood in the new collection.“
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