Silent Film Star Rudolph Valentino’s Historic L.A. Estate Sold for $15 Million

A four-acre parcel of land in Beverly Hills that once belonged to silent film star Rudolph Valentino sold earlier this month for $15 million, Forbes reports. The property comprises half of the original estate that Valentino christened Falcon Lair in 1925, when he purchased it for $175,000 (roughly $2,630,140 today).

Under Valentino’s ownership—which was cut short by his tragic death at the age of 31 in 1926—the sprawling estate was transformed using the actor’s native Italy as inspiration. The 11-bedroom Mediterranean-style villa was filled with antiques and the grounds were planted with dozens of Italian cypresses and Italian-style gardens. The property, nestled high on the slopes of Benedict Canyon, also held stables and a guesthouse.

After Valentino’s death, the estate was broken up and sold several times, with tobacco heiress Doris Duke eventually holding on to the main parcel for more than 40 years, until her own death there in 1998. In 2006, the original villa was torn down; all that’s left of the original estate on the remaining four-acre development property is the guesthouse, the garage, and the elaborate balustrade-lined gated entrance, plus an open-air chapel added after Valentino’s ownership.

The lot’s new owners are film producer Jenifer Westphal and her businessman husband Jeff, who also reportedly purchased another 1.25-acre piece of Falcon Lair last year for $3.75 million, and perhaps have grand plans to return the historic estate to its former glory.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest