Wed May 9, 7:51 PM ET

This undated picture provided by Vincenzo Palumbo, the owner of La Rondinaia, or Swallow's Nest, shows the imposing white mansion, in Ravello, southern Italy, owned until recently by Gore Vidal. The exclusive mansion has offered refuge to such celebrities as Tennessee Williams, Rudolf Nureyev, Paul Newman, Hillary Clinton and Brad Pitt_ but has been closed since Vidal sold it to Palumbo, a local hotelier, who plans to renovate and open a niche lodging for jet-setters. (AP Photo/HO)

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