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Home , Colosseum, Porta Pia, Sistine Chapel, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain

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2 0 Unconventional things to do in

Bold, lavish, magnifcent – Bvlgari’s B.zero1 collection captures the essence of the . To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iconic design, we explore the ancient plus 19 other captivating ways to experience the Eternal City. 07. Visit a department store Can you really treasure a moment in a department store? You can if it’s Rome’s Rinascente (rinascente.it), a historic shopping palace reborn in stunning new premises on Via del Tritone after an 11-year hiatus. The panoramic views from the rooftop restaurant are a revelation but the real 09. surprise is in the basement, which features a section of an ancient Head to aqueduct, its history told on the a movie set weathered stones, thanks to an Rome’s Cinecittà Studios innovative video projection system. (cinecittasimostra.it), where such as Cleopatra, 08. Taste a cornetto starring Elizabeth Taylor In the early morning hours, walking (who was photographed on home after a spent dancing or set wearing Bvlgari’s famous 01. Get your cafeine fx hanging out with friends, you start to Serpenti jewellery), were The gran café served at Sant’ Eustachio il Cafè feel a little peckish… and suddenly the shot, is now open for guided (santeustachioilcafe.it) on the piazza of the same name air is flled with the aroma of freshly tours. A highlight is a set is the last word in Italian cofee. Prepared to a secret baked cornetti (sweet, croissant-like from the mid-2000s HBO recipe on machines that are shielded from prying eyes, pastries). The once unofcial trade of TV series Rome – a the espresso here has fuelled generations of Romans. selling these fragrant treats from a side reconstruction of what the Spoon up the lush crema before you savour the brew. door before the bakery opens has now city would have looked like become a regular business and even in its glory days. inspired a citywide chain. We prefer B.zero1 “Design Legend” traditional joints such as Il Sorchettaro 18-carat rose-gold and white 02. Grab a gelato tourist beat. Alongside several of (Via Cernaia 47) near or ceramic pendant with 18-carat You’re sitting on a marble bench in the artist’s haunting “metaphysical” Dolce Maniera (Via Barletta 27) in rose-gold chain, $4150 a cobblestoned square surrounded by canvases are plenty of interesting the Vatican-Prati area. townhouses in ochre and pastel hues. human touches, such as the good In your hand is a passport to paradise luck charms that hang behind the – a tub of all-natural, no-additives easels in his studio. ice-cream from Fatamorgana 10. Enjoy a laid-back lunch (gelateriafatamorgana.com), one of Life doesn’t get much better than alfresco lunch at Rome’s best gelaterie, with nine locations 05. Tour the Vatican Pierluigi (pierluigi.it) in pretty Piazza de’ Ricci. With across the city. Our favourite favour? There’s a little-known world beyond a light, seasonal seafood menu, this is the best kind Zesty pineapple and ginger sorbet. the Vatican gates that includes of Roman restaurant – a historic trattoria that has a tranquil garden where turtles swim moved upscale without betraying its roots. The food 03. Catch a concert in cool green and pine and is still genuine, the welcome still warm. One sure way to see the jewel-case cypress trees frame ’s dome. interior of the seldom-open Oratorio Not only is the ofcial Vatican Gardens del Gonfalone (oratoriogonfalone.eu) tour (museivaticani.va) something of – entirely decorated with frescoes a well-kept secret, it also includes commissioned by the -loving entry to the and cardinal Alessandro Farnese in the the Sistine . 16th century – is to book a ticket to one of the ’s well-attended classical concerts on Thursdays or 06. Fill up on pasta jazz performances on Fridays. Want to lunch like a true time-strapped Roman ofce worker? Dive into Antica 04. Meander in a museum Birreria Peroni (anticabirreriaperoni.net), The apartment where 20th-century a venerable beer hall not far from the painter Giorgio de Chirico lived and . Stand at the bar and worked for 30 years is now a museum order a plate of pasta and a glass of (fondazionedechirico.com) and an cold draught Peroni beer – you’ll be intriguing diversion from the regular in and out in 15 minutes fat. BROUGHT TO YOU BY BVLGARI

12. Dine with a view 11. Wander The beautiful terrace at Aroma the DOMVS (aromarestaurant.it), the Michelin- History is carefully preserved starred restaurant of Palazzo in Rome and it’s no diferent Manfredi hotel, ofers an incredible at Bvlgari’s view of the Colosseum. Chef fagship store, where the frst Giuseppe di Iorio has both Roman foor has recently undergone and Calabrian roots, which infuence a lavish conversion into a dishes such as his mezzi paccheri permanent gallery for the pasta with monkfsh, sun-dried brand’s Heritage collection. tomato, samphire and candied lemon. Dubbed the DOMVS – the word for “home” – it’s 13. Admire the artworks a treasure trove of more than A one-euro coin is all it costs to see 600 unique pieces, vintage two Caravaggio masterpieces in all photographs and sketches, their glory inside Santa Maria del where you can soak up the Popolo (santamariadelpopolo.it) history (rare jewellery near Villa Borghese. Choose a adorned with real artefacts) quiet moment such as soon after and the fashion (portraits the church’s 7.30am opening. and belongings of Bvlgari’s favourite divas). “All the 14. Live like a royal jewels on display are real Once home to a noble Italian family 15. Explore the Colosseum works of art,” says Bvlgari and frequented by diplomats and When Bvlgari’s B.zero1 collection was frst released creative director Lucia aristocrats, the Palazzo Dama in 1999, it made a proclamation: be unconventional. Silvestri. “Some of my (palazzodama.com) is now a fve-star The ’s most famous monument, favourite pieces are from hotel on the banks of the . With the Colosseum, was the inspiration. “The circular the Elizabeth Taylor collection its oasis-like outdoor pool, world- form is the symbol for eternal renewal and because of the uniqueness class ceviche served at in-house brings to mind the circularity of classic Roman of the stones, like the sapphire restaurant Pacifco and round-the- architectural masterpieces,” says Lucia Silvestri. sautoir. It is impossible to clock concierge service, you’ll feel like To celebrate the collection’s anniversary, Bvlgari fnd an equal one today.” a noble yourself during your stay. is reissuing an extraordinary special edition of the original fve-band ring: a white-gold spiral encrusted in pavé diamonds, as well as versions in yellow-gold, solid white-gold and, for the frst time, rose-gold, all engraved with “XX Anniversary”. “The ring is a truly universal piece, considering its various editions in materials such as yellow-gold and ceramic,” says Silvestri. The collection also includes an update of Design Legend, a collaboration with late architect Zaha Hadid from 2017. The inner core of black or white ceramic is crisscrossed by her dynamic lines in rose-gold and can be worn as a ring or pendant. Classic and contemporary materials meet in bold designs, refecting the magnifcent Italian city and the enduring legend of B.zero1.

(Above, from top) B.zero1 “Design Legend” four-band ring in 18-carat rose-gold and white ceramic, $3580, and 18-carat rose-gold and white ceramic pendant with 18-carat rose-gold chain, $4150; (cover, from top) B.zero1 “XXth Anniversary” fve-band ring in 18-carat yellow-gold, $3150, white-gold, $3330, and rose-gold, $3150 BROUGHT TO YOU BY BVLGARI

17. Quench your thirst Afectionately called nasoni (big noses) by locals, the city’s drinking fountains have slaked the thirst of millions. Few know, however, that even the dispenses cool, fresh water: look for the stone basin on the right as you face the fountain.

18. Find a speakeasy The frst of a new breed of late-opening Roman speakeasies, Jerry Thomas (thejerrythomasproject.it) is still the best. It opens at 10pm but the buzziest vibe is in the small hours, when the lucky 16. few (who have booked in advance by phone and guessed the password Climb the hidden on the website) get to admire the cocktail-mixing panache of the The Spanish Steps are old-school bar’s moustachioed crew. a stunning example of Italian style and 19. Return to the ruins look over the Piazza di (ostiaantica.beniculturali.it) , one of the city’s is Rome’s very own Pompeii – the most famous areas. “For once-thriving port town sufered no Romans, the landmark is volcanic apocalypse but was gradually 20. Discover history Rome, it’s summer,” says abandoned and buried by river mud. There’s something astonishingly lovely about the Lucia Silvestri. It was ftting A great place for a summer picnic, it still fourth-century mosaics in the Mausoleum of Santa that Bvlgari, a maison feels oddly lived-in – nowhere more so Costanza (santagnese.org) in the city’s north-east. synonymous with the than in the thermopolium, an ancient With their vine tendrils and Dionysiac scenes of cherubs Italian , donated Roman restaurant complete with marble treading grapes, they are rare documents of a world €1.5 million for the counter and a mural illustrating some on the cusp, a devout early Christian faith still in touch restoration of the iconic of the daily dishes on the menu. with the gods and the nature worship of pagan Rome. steps in 2016. “When I was not yet creative director [of Bvlgari], I would walk from our ofce to the [fagship] shop on Via dei Condotti and look at ,” says Silvestri. “When the azaleas that decorate the steps in spring bloomed, I imagined a necklace with pink sapphires and the steps as two earrings. When I was asked to design a necklace for the inauguration of the Piazza di Spagna restoration, I was able to fulfl my dream.”

(Clockwise from top) B.zero1 bracelet in 18-carat yellow-gold, $6850, and white-gold, $5950; B.zero1 “Design Legend” bracelet in 18-carat rose-gold, $21,500