Bulgari creative director lists her favourite hotels, restaurants and museums in Rome and beyond

Lucia Silvestri was in Hong Kong recently to present a jewellery collection. We talked about her favourite spots in her hometown. She loves peaceful hotels, eating in Roman and Tuscan restaurants in the Eternal City and heading south to the Puglia coast to unwind

Fashion

Vincenzo La Torre

Published: 6:01pm, 9 May 2018

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From the bazaars of Jaipur to the diamond district of New York, Lucia Silvestri, the creative director of Bulgari, is always roaming the planet on her hunt for rare stones. Born and raised in Rome, she’s been working at the jeweller for more than 35 years.

She loves nothing more than going back to Rome to come up with new designs in the company’s headquarters overlooking the Tiber. On a recent visit to Hong Kong to present Bulgari’s Festa collection, she sat down for a chat to reveal her top places in the Eternal City and beyond.

Places to stay

Hotel Hassler and Hotel de Russie are my favourite hotels in Rome. I love Hotel de Russie because it has a beautiful garden and even though you’re in Rome, it’s very quiet and you don’t feel like you’re in the heart of town.

A view of Rome from a terrace at the Hassler Hotel.

I love going there for a pre-dinner drink. The Hassler has incredible views.

Weekend getaway

A wonderful place is La Posta Vecchia, a hotel that’s only 60km from Rome. There’s nothing else around it. It’s the best place to unwind and spend a quiet weekend.

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Southern charm

Recently, I’ve fallen in love with Puglia. I would recommend Masseria San Domenico, where you can relax and eat well. It’s very close to the beach and the staff are wonderful.

Borgo Egnazia in the southern region of Puglia, forming the heel of Italy’s “boot”.

Borgo Egnazia, nearby, is also beautiful and has a marvellous spa. I really recommend Puglia but not in August. Visit in June or July.

Eat like a local

I go to Nino on Via Borgognona and Trattoria al Moro near the Trevi Fountain. They’re traditional restaurants and very Roman.

Rome’s iconic Spanish Steps, just a few blocks from the famous Trevi Fountain.

Al Moro is very old school and the ingredients are amazing. Nino is more of a mix of Roman and Tuscan cuisine. I love that they’ve never changed in all these years.

Galleria Borghese in Rome is a must visit for art lovers.

Culture fix

For me, Galleria Borghese is better than the Vatican Museums because it’s not too big, but you see a masterpiece on every corner. I love Canova and his sculptures.

The statue of Paolina Borghese, by baroque sculptor Antonio Canova, one of the masterpieces of the famous Galleria Borghese museum in Rome. Photo: AFP

I could spend hours just looking at them, especially Paolina Borghese and the folds of her bed sculpted in marble.

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Retail therapy

To buy food, I go to Eataly, which recently opened a branch in Rome, in the Ostiense neighbourhood, which is an old area of Rome that is becoming very cool now and is like a Roman version of the Meatpacking District in New York, full of hip restaurants and bars. For fashion, I like Cenci, a multibrand store that sells both menswear and womenswear.

Packing essentials

I love La Mer and I never forget to take their skincare products with me. I also can’t travel without jewels. I always have three or four pairs of earrings and two rings and a necklace.

A necklace from Bulgari’s Festa collection

I carry them with me on the plane and they are always with me and sometimes I borrow jewels from Bulgari shops wherever I am.

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