ever held in the famous ballroom. Don Carlos had a series of strokes in the 1960s and retired to his French seat at Montfort l'Amaury, so he sold it to RAI, Italian State television, who used it as their regional headquarters. He died in 1970, without leaving a will. His estate, which included many of the Palazzo Labia's former contents, and his French home Château de Groussay, which was similarly furnished, went to his brother, who gave Groussay to his son Jean (Johnny) de Beistegui. When Groussay and the former Palazzo Labia items were auctioned by Sotheby's in 1999, it proved to be France's largest and most highly priced auction. Occasionally the ballroom is used for high-ranking international conferences and summits; this room and some of the state rooms are open to public viewing by appointment. In April 2008 RAI put the palazzo on sale, binding it to cultural use, as requested by Venice Municipality. Then during the press preview week of the 2019 Venice Biennale Dior and Venetian Heritage Foundation staged at the palazzo, the Tiepolo Ball in the spirit of Le Bal Oriental. It was attended by many celebrity guests including Tilda Swindon, Sienna Miller, Karlie Kloss, Hamish Bowles, Dasha Zhukova, Monica Bellucci, and Sandro Kopp. Notes References External links Frescoes in the Palazzo Labia by Tiepolo Giambattista Tiepolo, 1696-1770, a full text exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art, which includes material on Palazzo Labia Labia Labia