For many years, part of tourism in Los Angeles included a “star map” with the addresses of movie stars on a map sold at newsstands or on street corners. The most recent addresses were impossible to confirm as all the houses have high walls, but the most classic ones? Easy. One of the most famous – I went to the door, I admit! – It is the famous mansion where Rudolph Valentino lived before his death, at the age of 31, in 1926. To this day it is named after him:  Falcon Lair. A perfect name!

The century-old mansion has changed hands a few times and has been extensively altered internally. It was the address of the crazy parties portrayed in Babylon and purchased by Valentino in the late 1920s, a few years before he died suddenly in 1926. Some claim it was built in 1923, others in 1924, the actor moved there in 1925 seeking isolation and Peace. Back then, the hills above Benedict Canyon in Los Angeles were more remote. Exactly what he wanted. Tucked away on a side street, the Spanish-style mansion sat on an 8-acre lot and was near Pickfair, the mansion of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, just below the canyon.

Valentino paid $175,000 and named the property  Falcon Lair in honor of the film he was working on, The Hooded Falcon, which was based on the story of the Moorish nobleman, El Cid, but which he never completed. Once he moved into the mansion on Cielo Drive, Valentino filled the property with antiques and souvenirs from his travels, including medieval arsenals and Spanish sculptures. He also built a stable (now a guest house) where he kept his four Arabian horses. His rare and expensive collection of cars was parked in the garage. He had to build a high concrete wall to protect himself from harassment from admirers and also added a fountain.

The Falcon Lair has always been famous in Hollywood, not only because of its owner, but because the original Beaux Arts-style building was designed by famous architect J.S. Powell, and was one of the first houses in California to be built entirely with electric lights. For this reason, before being given another name by Valentino, it was known as “The Hollywood Electrical Home”.

Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina D’Antonguolla, who professionally adopted the shorter and more memorable Rudolph Valentino, was one of Hollywood’s first superstars, a global pop icon, a sex symbol who was most often referred to simply as “Valentino” and that mobilized crowds of passionate women. His legendary status was also achieved due to his premature, unexpected death, surrounded by many years of secrets. He was just 31 years old and his funeral caused mass hysteria among his fans.

One of the biggest names in silent cinema, Valentino was what became known as the “Latin lover”, almost always in exotic roles that highlighted his talent as a dancer. He was married twice, but his personal relationships were always confusing. His great love was Natacha Rambova, but when he moved into the mansion he had already separated from her and was having a romance with another actress as famous as him: Pola Negri.

On August 15, 1926, Rudolph Valentino had a sudden collapse while in New York, where he underwent emergency surgery for a perforated ulcer. Everything seemed to be going well during his recovery, but he had peritonitis that spread throughout his body. In just eight days and at just 31 years old, Valentino died. The confusion of the unexpected news moves his fans. More than 100,000 people took to the streets of New York to offer their condolences. Pola Negri threw herself into her coffin screaming hysterically. Windows of the Church (on 49th Street) were broken. It was chaos. The actor’s body was taken by train across the country and there was a second funeral in Hollywood, where he was finally buried.

Although in the brief years, he called  Falcon Lair home, Valentino had memorable dinners and rode horses through the gardens after purchasing 6.5 adjacent acres so he could ride in peace. After his death, the property was sold to cover the actor’s debts, and much of the land was divided into installments. They say that the house has its ghost still scaring residents, but little remains of the original property. The historic main house was demolished in 2005, leaving only the old stable and the three-bay garage, which were converted by millionaire Doris Duke, who bought the mansion in 1953 and died at the address in 1993, aged 80. It was she who transformed what was left of the original into a guest house, around the 70s.

A few years ago the  Falcon Lair changed hands once again and the current owner has carefully restored and remodeled the house to maintain the discreet charm of old Hollywood, as close as possible to the Valentino era. With antique fireplaces, chandeliers, sconces, and bathtubs with

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