Latest news with #PietroRuffo
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The art-drenched city where you can sleep amongst the stars and fall in love
If you're a Londoner craving a romantic, art-drenched city break that's equal parts stylish and soul-stirring, allow me to introduce you to your next destination: Rome. But not just any Rome, Rome with a home base as refined as it is inspiring: art'otel Rome Piazza Sallustio, a five-star boutique hotel where luxury meets creativity, and where every corridor whispers with cultural intention. From the moment I stepped into the sleek lobby, just moments from Villa Borghese and Via Veneto, I knew this wasn't your standard five-star stay. The entrance to the hotel (Image: Poppy Huggett) The hotel is dripping with design, from the soft-lit art gallery showcasing a jaw-dropping collection by Signature Artist Pietro Ruffo, to the softly scented lounge areas that feel like a Milan Fashion Week afterparty, minus the chaos. The seating area in reception (Image: Poppy Huggett) Ruffo, whose collaborations include the likes of Dior and Valentino (and even the Vatican Library), lends his dreamy, constellation-inspired touch throughout the property including in the suite where I stayed, and where I may or may not have considered moving in permanently. I stayed in one of the junior suites - a spacious, chic sanctuary with a private balcony and a bed big enough to stage a small play. The junior suite (Image: Poppy Huggett) The kind of space where the Dyson Airwrap and Roberts Radio casually sit on your dressing table, as if to say: yes, we thought of everything. The bathroom was so glossy and marble-clad it felt like I was brushing my teeth inside a Botticelli painting. The junior suite and bathroom (Image: Poppy Huggett) After exploring our beautiful rooms of the trip, we were whisked away on a Vespa Side Cart Tour, and this was a fever dream. A pink Vespa was naturally my vehicle of choice (as a certified girly-girl), and by sheer cosmic coincidence, it happened to belong to our tour guide himself. The Vespa Side Cart Tour (Image: Poppy Huggett) With a professional driver at the wheel and our helmets securely fastened, we cruised through cobbled side streets that suddenly opened up to breath taking views of iconic landmarks like the Colosseum, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, and Castel Sant'Angelo. The Colosseum (Image: Poppy Huggett) The sun was shining, the wind in my hair was very Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, and by the time we stopped for gelato and pastries with a splash of Aperol Spritz, I was wishing to the Roman gods that this could become my full-time lifestyle. I had my 'Lizzie McGuire' moment (Image: Poppy Huggett) Later, we found ourselves at one of the world's most talked-about locations - the Vatican City. The gardens of the Vatican City (Image: Poppy Huggett) Led by our guide Matteo, we wandered through centuries of religious history, learned about the papal conclave and even stood beneath Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel. I've never been an art enthusiast, but something about seeing the story painted across that ceiling moved me in a way I didn't expect. My favourite artwork at the Vatican City (Image: Poppy Huggett) Dinner that night was at Fiaschetteria Marin, an old-school Roman restaurant with wooden furniture and candlelit corners. We shared plates of cured meats, vegetables, and my first (glorious) carbonara of the trip. Fiaschetteria Marin sharing plates (Image: Poppy Huggett) Breakfast at art'otel the next morning set the tone: Eggs Benedict, sugared doughnuts, fruit, and a cinnamon latte that could bring the dead back to life. Breakfast at art'otel (Image: Poppy Huggett) After a leisurely morning of wandering around the Spanish Steps and indulging in a little self-timed touristy glamour, it was time to get floury. In the process of making my own Tiramisu (Image: Poppy Huggett) We joined a cooking class with InRome Cooking near Piazza Navona, where I made tiramisu and two types of pasta from scratch under the guidance of a passionate chef. InRome cooking class (Image: Poppy Huggett) Prosecco flowed, aprons were donned, and by the end of it, I had somehow produced restaurant-worthy carbonara and an espresso-soaked dessert that my nonna would be super proud of. My freshly made pasta dishes of the day (Image: Poppy Huggett) Back at art'otel, we were later treated to a private art tour led by Pietro Ruffo himself. He walked us through the collection, including installations inspired by constellations, maps of the modern world, and the poetic tension between nature and architecture. Pietro Ruffo showing us his artwork in the lobby of art'otel (Image: Poppy Huggett) Seeing the Cancer-themed penthouse and the moving video installation in the gallery added layers of meaning to our stay; this hotel isn't just a place to sleep; it's a place to feel. Dinner was at the hotel's YEZI Restaurant & Bar, which serves refined Asian dishes with theatrical flair. A mouth watering mix of ribs and chicken shawarma (Image: Poppy Huggett) The duck spring rolls were standout, but the dessert - a misty, dry-ice-covered display of ice cream and creams - felt like floating through a Willy Wonka dream. The immersive final dessert (Image: Poppy Huggett) Paired with the perfect wine and warm, thoughtful service, it was my favourite meal of the entire trip. Our final day was no wind-down as we were back in the streets early, snapping pictures of the Trevi Fountain (yes, I threw a coin and made a wish) and joining Francesca, our lively guide for a Roman Street Food Tour. The Trevi Fountain is a go-to tourist spot (Image: Poppy Huggett) We sampled meats at a local market, devoured slice(s) of crisp margherita pizza, and learned about the city's Jewish quarter and its wartime history. The afternoon ended on a high: a gelato cone of cookies and cream, eaten in the sun. We ended the trip with a classic Gelato (Image: Poppy Huggett) Rome is a dream for art lovers, foodies, history buffs, and hopeless romantics. But what makes this trip stand out is art'otel Rome Piazza Sallustio. The Roman food tour (Image: Poppy Huggett) It offers the elegance and design savvy that Londoners appreciate, while delivering warmth, authenticity, and unexpected joy in every detail. Grab the Vespa helmet, leave the umbrella, and go find your la dolce vita in Rome this summer.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Vatican's Apostolic Library set to host old and new art exhibitions to 'reflect diversity'
A new art space is opening in the Vatican with the aim of 'reflecting diversity'. The Vatican's Apostolic Library - home to ancient manuscripts and rare books - will now house contemporary art exhibits in a combination of old and new. Open to the general public from February, the inaugural exhibit, 'Tutti', is inspired by Pope Francis's 2020 appeals for environmental sustainability, greater human fraternity and a more just-socio economic order post-pandemic. Rome-based artist Pietro Ruffo, who works on themes of maps and migration, has turned one of the library's halls into a tropical forest. Another room plays host to an ancient map of the Nile that Ruffo has made a contemporary reworking of. Citing the need for new maps after COVID-19, Pope Francis said, "In this epochal change that the pandemic has accelerated, humanity needs new maps to discover the sense of fraternity, of friendship and the common good. "We need a new beauty, that isn't the usual reflection of power of some but a courageous mosaic of everyone's diversity." Related Live action Gunpowder Plot experience to launch at the Tower of London in 2022 French villagers mobilise to save their castle from Ukrainian owner who 'pretends to be dead' Rotterdam 'art storage' museum opens entire collection to public in 'world first' The exhibit is part of Pope Francis' vision of opening the Vatican up to the world. In this vein he has also opened the papal summer residence Castel Gandolfo as a museum to the public. The subject-matter of the new artwork is in line with the many high-profile interventions on social justice issues Pope Francis has made since he was elected in 2013. In October he co-signed a joint climate appeal with other faith leaders ahead of climate summit COP26 in Glasgow. This followed a speech earlier this year on global warming in which he stated 'creation is groaning'. The pontificate has also urged Catholics to get the COVID-19 vaccine and backed a waiver on intellectual property rights during the pandemic. The exhibit, which runs through Feb. 22, is open Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and provides visitors with a unique way to get into Vatican City that would otherwise be off-limits. Visitors must request admission in advance online, and the 15 euro admission fee includes the catalogue.
