Sophia Loren has long captivated audiences with her regal beauty and arresting onscreen presence. That same elegant aesthetic pulse runs through her homes, too. Born Sofia Villani Scicolone in Rome, the actor ascended to superstardom during Hollywood’s Golden Age and has lived all over the world in dwellings that sound straight out of a fairytale—among them, a colossal 50-bedroom villa in Italy; a quaint ranch in Hidden Valley, California; an ornate mansion in Geneva; and a penthouse apartment at the storied Chateau Marmont.
Loren got her start in beauty pageants as a young girl before turning to acting in the 1950s. Over the years, she starred in the films The Pride and the Passion, Houseboat, and won two Oscars (her first for Two Women in 1962, and an honorary award in 1991). She’s also the recipient of the coveted Cecil B. DeMille Award, which she took home in 1995.
While she has undeniably reached great career heights, for the actor, there’s nothing quite like spending quality time at home. “What I appreciate most when I’m not working is the chance to lead as normal a family life as possible,” Loren previously told AD in March 1987. Below, we’ve rounded up an album of the silver screen legend’s domestic life.