Rome

Neo-Classical Estate Featured in Tod's New Ad Campaign for Sale at $33 Million

Filed under: Estates

Italian Palazzo in Tod's New Ad Campaign

[via JustLuxe]

Villa Volpi, a neo-classical palazzo overlooking the Mediterranean that's featured in Italian luxury label Tod's new ad campaign, has been listed for sale at $33 million.

The amazing property, luxe lifestyle setting of attractive people and classic Ferraris in the alluring ads, sits on 26 acres including a private beach. The estate is the creation of Countess Nathalie Volpi di Misurata, an aristocrat with a reputation for impeccable taste and refined elegance who enlisted celebrated Milanese architect Tomaso Buzzi to build the palazzo in 1960.

Villa Volpi's seven lavish bedrooms and entertaining spaces have played host to many notable guests over the years, from celebrities to royalty, society and international dignitaries. Additional buildings on the estate include a three-bedroom guest house, a two-bedroom cottage and stables.

"This home fosters an incredibly peaceful and glamorous way of life," notes Clarice Pecori Giraldi of Christie's International Real Estate, "bringing together a unique location in Italy - where waterfront properties of this scale are extremely rare - with the incredible sophistication of classical architecture."

Gallery: Villa Volpi

Tags: ad campaigns, architecture, estates, Ferrari, Italy, mansion, Mediterranean, palazzo, Rome, Tods, Villa Volpi

Caravaggio Exhibit Opens In Rome

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

The dramatic art of Caravaggio is getting a new showcase in Rome. Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza, a Catholic church with a distinctive corkscrew dome and a courtyard designed by Baroque artist Borromini will host the show until May 15. The AP reports that the exhibit includes a portrait of Pope Paul V. That pontiff spared Caravaggio's life, lifting a death sentence against the mercurial artist after he fled Rome in 1606 for killing a man in a duel. That painting was last shown in Florence 100 years ago.

Caravaggio's chiaroscuro stylings, the vivid contrast of dark and light, seemed to play out in his life as well as on the canvas. He was known for his temper and his quickness with weapons. He remains popular partly because of the obvious drama and energy in many of his works. The exhibit also includes paintings by artists mentioned by Caravaggio in his writings, some described as bad, others as good. The inclusion of these works adds a little background to what life was like for this always opinionated artist.

Tags: art, art exhibit, caravaggio, rome

Italian Luxury Label Tod's to Restore Rome's Colosseum

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Diego Della Valle, President of Italian luxury label Tod's, and Italy's Ministry of Culture have announced that the Tod's Group will finance a complete restoration of Rome's historic Colosseum with a monetary commitment of 25 million euros, or about $34 million. Mr. Della Valle (above left), Rome's Mayor Gianni Alemanno (right), Culture Undersecretary Francesco Giro and the Government Commissioner for central Rome's archaeological area held a press conference at the Colosseum's arena to announce the project.

Completed in 80 AD under the emperor Titus, the Colosseum is capable of seating 50,000 spectators and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts and executions. The project will proceed in eight phases dedicated to the cleanup and restoration of the architectural icon. "We believe that because the Tod's Group is a strong global representative of 'Made in Italy', it is both an honour and our duty to contribute to the support of our country's image and credibility, as well as its cultural heritage," Della Valle declares.

Tags: architecture, Colosseum, Diego Della Valle, history, Italy, Rome, Tods

Julianne Moore Sparkles At Bulgari's Save The Children Event In Rome

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Events, Charity

On November 3rd, Bulgari CEO Francesco Trapani, Nicola Bulgari and Paolo Bulgari hosted a lavish fundraising event during the Rome Film Festival to benefit Save the Children. The event at the Salone delle Fontane included a cocktail reception, seated dinner, benefit auction and a special performance by Lenny Kravitz. Face of Bulgari's ad campaign, Julianne Moore, was in attendance wearing the emerald and diamond earrings she had worn in the print advertisements. Other notable guests included Delfina Delettrez, Isabella Ferrari, Valeria Golino, Martina Codecasa, and many more.

Event designer Simon Costin created a glamorous atmosphere reminiscent of Grand Central Station during the 1950s. All of the auction sales and the evening's ticket sales (€850 each) are being donated to Save the Children's worldwide education programs. Since 2008 Bulgari has contributed to support quality education programs for over 10 million children worldwide.

Check out a couple of pictures from the event after the jump (or visit Bulgari's Facebook page for more).

Tags: bulgari, bvlgari, julianne moore, rome

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$12 Million Blue Diamond BVLGARI Ring to Be Auctioned by Christie's

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

On October 20, as the lead highlight of its flagship Jewels: The New York Sale, Christie's will offer The BVLGARI Blue Diamond – a stunning two-stone diamond ring designed by Rome's legendary house of BVLGARI in the 1970s that's expected to fetch over $12 million. The ring features two extremely precious stones (above): a triangular-shaped, colorless diamond of 9.87 carats paired with a stunning triangular-shaped Fancy Vivid blue diamond of 10.95 carats – the largest Fancy Vivid blue diamond of this cut ever to be offered at auction. Fancy Vivid blue diamonds of this size are among the rarest of colored diamonds - only one in about 10 million will possess a color pure enough to qualify as "Fancy Vivid". The ring will be priced upon request for prospective bidders, but is expected to achieve in excess of $12 million and is positioned to become one of the top-selling diamonds at auction in 2010. The ring is being offered by a private European collector who has kept it in his family for almost 40 years.

Tags: auctions, Bulgari, BVLGARI, Christies, diamond, diamonds, jewelry, Rome

Omega Helps Michael Phelps And Massimiliano Rosolino Go On A Roman Holiday

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Ah, summer in Rome and two championship athletes there for training and competition can't seem to stay focused on the pool. Famous American Olympian Michael Phelps and star Italian swimmer Massimiliano Rosolino have a lot in common both being good swimmers and both Omega watch ambassadors. In what seemed like a friendly move, Omega got them together on a Vespa (of course) and the gents couldn't look happier. See them both wearing new 2009 Omega Seamaster Ploprof dive watches.

The idea was to recreate the setting and mood from the movie Roman Holiday for the photo op. The sentiment worked out pretty well. My only question is, who is supposed to be Audrey Hepburn? In this instance Mr. Phelps seems to be taking the role 'swimmingly,' and boy does he look happy sitting on the back of the White vintage Vespa. I have a feeling the two took the rest of the day off together for jaunting on Roman back roads via the scooter. The two indicated they had been spending a lot of time in the pool training for the FINA 09 event, so the break was sorely needed, I am sure. Reliable new Omega timepieces surely helped them not lose track of time.

This may also have been an attempt by Omega to expose the watch brand to new markets. For those who can appreciate the finer things in life such as White Vespas, cut-off shorts, and luxury timepieces.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Phelps and Rosolino with Omega watch

Tags: massimiliano rosolino, MassimilianoRosolino, michael phelps, MichaelPhelps, omega, ploprof, rome, watch

Armani To Design Roman Apartments

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Designer Giorgio Armani showed his latest Armani Prive line in Paris recently but as usual the permatan Italian has multiple irons on the fire. His Armani/Casa division will be responsible for creating the interior of exclusive apartments in Rome in the Cavour220 project. The project will consist of 62 units in a historical block composed of six linked buildings around a central garden along the Via Cavour which leads to the Coliseum.

Owners will be able to customize the units personal tastes on the basis of layouts and finishes proposed by Armani/Casa, admittedly likely a narrow range. Armani is famous for his minimalist style, a look that was shown to great effect in his designs for a Manhattan high-rise. In a statement published by Reuters, Armani said that the ancient buildings will be transformed into a "prestigious, sophisticated, cutting-edge residential complex." The apartments will be ready for occupancy next year.

Source

Tags: armani, cavour220, giorgio armani, GiorgioArmani, rome

Ducati's Cool New Caff� in Rome

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Cars & Autos

Luxury Italian motorbike brand Ducati has opened a stylish bar / restaurant / coffee shop in Rome, the Ducati Caffé. Located at Via delle Botteghe Oscure 35, the Caffé serves drinks and full meals and is adjacent to a Ducati showroom should you decide to purchase a superbike after dining. Of course, the Caffé serves espresso and Ducati's own Desmorosso wine, which my colleague Deidre Woollard wrote about last year, a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 10% Carmenere grapes. The menu showcases Italian specialties (naturally) with an emphasis on regional products and cuisine. A retail boutique on the premises carries a full line of Ducati-branded apparel and merchandise. The décor is sleek and modern, echoing Ducati's motorcycle designs with a red, white and black color scheme and chrome details. And yes, the waitresses are hot.

[via Motorbiker.org]

Gallery: Ducati CaffÃ©

Tags: Ducati, Italy, Motorcycle, Rome

The House of Valentino's 50 Fashionable Years

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Books

The remarkable 50-year career of Valentino, founder of the first couture house to be recognized by the French government outside of Paris, is given the coffee table treatment in a lavish new book, Valentino: Themes and Variations (Rizzoli, $75).

The tome on Rome-based Valentino Garavani is published in association with a prestigious exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, curated by the author, Pamela Golbin. The book focuses on the designer's haute couture creations, culminating in his brilliant Paris presentation last January.

"I have always considered my work as the one of a writer," Valentino notes in the foreword. "Over the years I wrote only one story, the one of my style, where each collection represents a single chapter, with all its emotions, ideas and motifs. The looks may change with every chapter, but the main characters are the same, as are the people and things that inspire me."

Tags: Haute couture, HauteCouture, Italian fashion, ItalianFashion, Paris, Rome, Valentino

Dionne Warwick Loses Her Jewels in Italy

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping

Every time a story of celebrity hotel theft hits the news I wonder why celebrities travel with so many valuables. The latest to lose her bling is singer Dionne Warwick. Thieves stole two rings, a necklace, a pair of earrings and a Rolex watch worth more than $100,000 total from the singer's room at the Hotel De Russie. The rooms at the hotel have safety deposit boxes but Ms. Warwick left her jewelry on a night table. What's really interesting is that the robbery occurred in the same room at the hotel where Cameron Diaz encountered a pair of thieves seven years ago.

Gallery: 10 Common Myths About Wealth and Luxury