But instead of moving in right away, Fertitta opted for a more unconventional arrangement. For three and a half weeks, he lived aboard his 77-meter Feadship superyacht Boardwalk, which boasts 12 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, six bars, a mosaic swimming pool, and a helipad.
According to Airmail, Fertitta would regularly helicopter from his yacht to official engagements on land — a habit that didn’t exactly thrill local residents.
His spokesperson confirmed to the Daily Mail that the ambassador delayed moving into Villa Taverna while “construction improvements” — which he personally paid for — were made to the family quarters. Rather than staying in a hotel, Fertitta decided the yacht was a more comfortable temporary home.
Fertitta finally moved into Villa Taverna on July 10, hosting Italian leaders, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, for an Independence Day celebration just days earlier. The State Department described the upgrades as “a series of careful renovations” to preserve the property’s architectural and historical value.
The sprawling villa, commissioned by Cardinal Consalvi in the 1400s, is famed for its ornate Renaissance gardens and priceless art collections, which now also include works by American icons Roy Lichtenstein, Frederic Remington, John Singer Sargent, and Hans Hofmann — part of a new cultural exchange project Fertitta unveiled this month.
Still, his brief yacht-living interlude has become the talk of Rome’s diplomatic and social circles — a reminder that even in one of the most beautiful capitals in the world, some ambassadors prefer their own version of luxury.