As is well known, the golden heiress, Athina Onassis, prefers to distance herself from Greece.
This is the primary reason she sold her grandfather's properties and ceased visits with his only living niece, despite having spent many happy moments at the family's villa in Lagonisi.
An Incredibly Luxurious Villa
This villa was the last Onassis dynasty property in Greek hands. Listed for €15,000,000, it was eventually purchased by a Saudi Arabian tycoon. Originally owned by Aristotle Onassis's sister, Kalliroi Patronikola, it passed to her daughter, Marilena, who then sold it to the shipowner Evangelos Pistiolis.
The lavish €15,000,000 villa has undergone extensive renovations, equipped with state-of-the-art systems, appliances, and opulent furnishings. Boasting a total area of 823 square meters, it sits on a five-acre beachfront property with panoramic views of the Saronic Gulf. The grounds feature an artificial lake and a swimming pool.
Inside, the villa offers a spacious living room, seven master bedrooms (including two suites), a playroom, and a gym with a hammam. Outside, there's a small chapel, a fully equipped barbecue area, a dining area with a marble countertop, and a separate guest house with two additional bedrooms for staff.
Athina Onassis: The Golden Heiress's Visits to the €15,000,000 Villa
In 1999, a 14-year-old Athina Onassis visited her aunt's villa in Lagonisi. Traveling from Switzerland with her father, Thierry Roussel, she attended the wedding of her cousin, Giorgos Drakos, son of Marilena Patronikola.
The wedding ceremony took place in the villa's white chapel, followed by a reception in the gardens. The young Athina clearly enjoyed being among her maternal relatives.
Years later, she invited the Patronikola family to her own wedding to Alvaro de Miranda Neto. However, her aunt was unable to attend due to the declining health of her mother, Kalliroi Patronikola, who passed away in 2006. As a wedding gift, Kalliroi, an artist, sent a porcelain dinner service she had painted herself in her studio on Philopappos Hill.
Kalliroi Patronikola was Aristotle Onassis's youngest sister. He had two other sisters, Artemis Garoufalidou and Merope Konialidou. Kalliroi was Aristotle's half-sister, born from their father's second marriage.
Even before Giorgos Drakos's wedding, Athina Onassis frequently visited the Lagonisi villa, playing in the gardens and swimming in the pool with her half-siblings from Thierry Roussel's second marriage.
In recent years, however, Athina has not seen her aunt Marilena, Aristotle Onassis's only living niece, having chosen to sever ties with Greece, particularly after selling Skorpios Island to the Rybolovlev family.
Notably, the legendary villa also hosted Andreas Papandreou, the former Greek Prime Minister, who reportedly visited numerous times due to his connection with Onassis's niece, Marilena Patronikola, before meeting Dimitra Liani. This relationship was detailed by Margaret Papandreou in her book, "Love and Power," which chronicles the passionate romances of the PASOK founder.