Newly Refurbished : Ancient Villa Is Temporary White House

Awaiting Monday’s start of the economic summit, President Reagan and his wife, Nancy, are resting comfortably in a freshly redecorated 17th-Century villa, which contains a king-size bed flown in for them from Portugal.

The 45-room Villa Condulmer, now a hotel, has undergone a $4.2-million refurbishing in recent months and now is a showcase for centuries-old furniture, chandeliers and works of art, according to hotel manager Aquilino Chinellato. The villa, 12 miles north of Venice, will house the Reagans and their aides through Sunday night and will allow no other guests during their stay.

After the White House staff determined that the villa contained no beds large enough for the Reagans’ comfort, a bed that was made for their 1985 visit to Portugal was taken out of storage and flown to the villa.

No Imported Horses

Chosen for its remoteness (a 45-minute trip from Venice by boat and car), the hotel has a golf course, a swimming pool, a pond with wild ducks, several rose gardens and horseback-riding facilities. But a White House spokeswoman denied a rumor circulating in some Italian publications that the Reagans had brought their own horses on the trip.

“There are no (Reagan) horses. . . ,” said Elaine Crispen, Nancy Reagan’s press secretary. “They didn’t even bring Rex (the family dog).”

The Italian press has made much of the entourage that Reagan has brought on this trip. But Crispen said the Italians were “confused” in reporting that the Reagans would be transporting their own electrical generators, a beauty salon and a bathroom.

Crispen also expressed some irritation over the attention given by the Italian media to the flown-in bed. “The bed has been made and put to sleep,” she said.

Hot Line Available

The Reagans brought communications technicians and a chef, and Nancy Reagan brought a hairdresser and a personal maid. Technicians sent earlier installed two satellite dishes to bring in American television and more than 100 telephone lines, including the hot line to the Kremlin, which must always be available wherever a President is away from Washington for an extended period.

The presidential sleeping quarters in the Villa Condulmer have been freshly wallpapered in a light blue, but Crispen denied a report that this was done at Nancy Reagan’s request.

“People always spiffy up for their visit,” said Crispen. “It’s nothing we ask for.” In the past there have been problems with fumes from fresh paint, Crispen said, and the Reagans actually prefer that hosts not paint their room just before their arrival.

A foyer on the second floor of the Villa Condulmer has been transformed into a large living and dining area with a mix of new and antique furniture. In the hallway outside sits the piano used by Giuseppe Verdi to compose the opera “La Traviata.” Freshly cut red roses are brought to Mrs. Reagan every morning.

Merchant’s Family

The Reagans travel to and from the villa by helicopter, landing on the golf course. The villa is named for the family of 13th-Century merchant Marco Condulmer, whose descendants built the structure in the 17th Century on the ruins of a monastery. In the 1800s, the villa was taken over by another prominent family, the Torniellis, who added frescoes by Moretti Laresi and a park designed by Setaboni of Brescia.

The Reagans will spend their time in the villa taking walks and reading their briefing materials, Crispen said. On Monday, when the summit begins, they will move to Venice and the Hotel Cipriani.