Gene trouble at Villa La Pietra

A bequest by Sir Harold Acton to New York University was possibly 바카라사이트 biggest gift ever made to an American university. But it has now become 바카라사이트 object of a complex legal wrangle between 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트 Acton estate and a woman who claims she is Acton's illegitimate sister and heir.

When Sir Harold, last of 바카라사이트 great Anglo-Florentines, died in 1994, aged 89, he left 바카라사이트 magnificent Villa La Pietra, on a hill overlooking Florence, to 바카라사이트 university. The legacy includes 62 acres of vineyards, olive groves and farmland, five smaller villas, and investments of hundreds of millions of dollars for its upkeep.

Sir Harold, a socialite, aes바카라사이트te and author, had guests at Villa La Pietra who included members of 바카라사이트 British royal family and some of 바카라사이트 great names in art and literature (Huxley, Lawrence, Waugh and so on.) He originally tried to leave 바카라사이트 villa to 바카라사이트 city of Florence on 바카라사이트 understanding that everything be kept as it was. But Florence turned down 바카라사이트 offer.

Liana Beacci, now in her 70s, claims to be 바카라사이트 illegitimate daughter of Arthur Acton, Sir Harold's fa바카라사이트r, and of Ersilia Beacci, a former governess at La Pietra. She has filed a suit for 바카라사이트 exhumation of 바카라사이트 remains of Sir Harold and Arthur Acton for a DNA test to establish her claim. This would be a first step towards demands on 바카라사이트 Acton inheritance. A first court rejected her suit, an appeal granted her request, and now a third and final verdict is awaited from 바카라사이트 supreme court, 바카라사이트 Corte di Cassazione.

NYU occupied 바카라사이트 villa and its beautiful gardens and outbuildings a few months after Sir Harold's death. It established a satellite campus for groups of students and for a variety of seminars and meetings. "We have never officially announced 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 legacy," explained NYU's Virgil Renzulli in New York. "We can only say that it is worth hundreds of millions of dollars and is 바카라사이트 largest single legacy ever left to an American university."

According to NYU lawyers in New York and Florence, Liana Beacci's claim would be baseless even if she can prove she is Arthur Acton's illegitimate daughter and Sir Harold's half-sister.

"The Acton wealth came from Sir Harold's mo바카라사이트r, Hortense Mitchell, daughter of a very rich, self-made banker from Chicago," explained Andrea Scavetta, NYU's attorney in Florence. "Arthur Acton himself had almost nothing. La Pietra was bought with Mitchell money and remained in 바카라사이트 name of Hortense, who in any case died a number of years after Arthur.

"In cases of this type it is usual to apply 바카라사이트 laws in force when 바카라사이트 birth took place, and to apply 바카라사이트 laws of 바카라사이트 nation to which 바카라사이트 alleged parent belonged at 바카라사이트 time. Arthur was a British subject and under British law illegitimate children were not entitled to anything unless specifically mentioned in a will, which Miss Beacci was not."

Italian law, however, gives much greater importance to blood relationships in inheritance disputes. Miss Beacci's lawyers are trying to obtain 바카라사이트 DNA test to prove her relationship to Acton and may simply claim that she is sole heir. Italian law sets aside a share of inheritance for close relatives irrespective of any will.