History
At the close of the 19th century, Torquay became extremely popular with the rich and privileged of Europe, and it was during this opulent time that a noble Russian family, the Romanoffs, arrived and built the stunning edifice, which they called Villa Syracusa.
Down the years, the villa had many influential, prestigious visitors, including Edward, Prince of Wales. The Russian Royal Family were frequent guests, visiting the Romanoffs with Count Gregoire Stroganoff and Countess Alexandra Tolstoy, to name just a few.