It’s a bright, blue-sky day and I’m standing outside the old Testaccio slaughterhouse. Built in the late 19th century, it was a busy, industrial part of town, home to the hard-working people of Rome. In use for almost 100 years, it closed in 1975 and was then left abandoned. As weeds and ruin crept in, […]
“In Italy, creativity is very important and recognized in everything, in all that is produced here.” – Leo Pizzo In 1971, Sara Di Giorgio Pizzo and Leo Pizzo started a jewelry brand together. Forty-five years later, the family business is going strong with a second generation poised to add their expertise to the ever-changing landscape […]
It’s the roaring twenties. Life is fueled by jazz, gin, and seemingly unlimited potential for prosperity. Domestic appliances such as refrigerators and electric irons begin to be used in households across the US and UK. Previously unknown hours of leisure time are now spent participating in mass culture; flappers raise hemlines to knee-level and […]
People will stare. Make it worth their while. – Harry Winston Harry Winston clearly had an eye for precious stones from a very young age; in a way, his career as a jeweler began when he was 12 years old. The year is 1908 and Jacob Winston asks his son Harry to run an errand […]
It’s Valentines Day and I am meeting Antonella Salvucci at Zanzara, a trendy bar near the Vatican. We are standing outside when Keanu Reeves walks past us and gets into the passenger side of a vintage Fiat 500. I look at Antonella and she exclaims, “This is Rome!” Antonella Salvucci’s interest in […]
“Jewelry is not fashion. It has to last, not be discarded as soon as something else comes along.” Elsa Peretti, world class jewelry designer, has been with Tiffany & Co more than 40 years. At 76 years of age, her life has been an epic adventure. She ran in the same circles of art giants such as Dali, […]
Finishing the last sip of my espresso, I notice the cafe’s lavatory is out of order, so on my way through Piazza Del Popolo, I clean espresso and pastry sugar from my hands in the water pouring from a lion’s mouth, next to an obelisk the first emperor of Rome took from Egypt more than […]
The luxury retail experience is nothing new in Rome. Everyday, shoppers flood into the center and crowd the streets around Piazza di Spagna and beyond. High-end garments finished with the finest embellishments and partnered with the most coveted catwalk accessories adorn the windows of the biggest fashion houses. Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Versace, all the big […]
Cat lovers behold! If you have ever wondered whether there was a place where you can enjoy a healthy, and yet delicious meal, with the company of your favourite fluffy friends, Romeow Cat Bistrot is the right place for you. After the success in London, and Paris of this ‘restaurant genre’, I was ecstatic to […]
From artists following The Grand Tour, to Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, the Bernini marbles, and Caravaggio masterpieces, art in Rome has a long and enduring history. Today, the typical tourist itinerary takes in the wealth of classical art the Eternal City has to offer. Cast your net a little further however, and you’ll discover […]