Bulgari opens a Rome gallery dedicated to the jewels that shaped its legacy
As the culmination of Bulgari’s ongoing project of reacquiring its historical jewels, a growing Heritage Collection that was previously itinerant is now permanently housed in DOMVS, a gallery space above the Italian jeweller’s Via dei Condotti boutique in Rome.
Much like the Pantheon, erected by the Romans as a temple dedicated to their gods, DOMVS is an intimate space dedicated to the jewels that shaped Bulgari’s legacy.
'I think it’s pivotal for a luxury brand,' said Jean-Christophe Babin, Bulgari’s CEO, indicating the importance of this milestone moment in the jeweller’s 130-year history. 'Eventually you need a permanent location. We’ve been lucky, because our Via dei Condotti space was big enough to house both a boutique and a gallery'.
The Bulgari design signature – combining coloured gemstones with diamonds – is firmly connected to Rome. Many of the pieces on display in DOMVS pay homage to Roman landmarks: a ruby and diamond brooch from the 1950s once worn by Anna Magnani was inspired by the Piazza del Campidoglio; a trident shaped necklace recalls the three-way road structure that leads to Piazza del Popolo.
It’s an aesthetic link that Peter Marino, who renovated and designed both the gallery space and the boutique, has consciously extrapolated to the DOMVS’ interior elements. One striking new feature that ushers in the Eternal City’s history is the bronze openwork screen that shields the marble staircase, with a motif based on the floor pattern of the Pantheon.
Other interior elements are listed by Belle Arti, Italy’s Fine Arts Superintendency – an unusual situation Marino found to be a pleasant challenge. 'There is a past, there is a present, there is a future,' he said. 'You can’t ignore the past as if it’s something dirty.' So, he sought to integrate the two, aiming 'to be at the same time ancient and modern'.
A southern Italian walnut wood floor in 'crazy new geometric patterns that might have been done in the 1930s' carries out Marino’s lofty mission with a stateliness that’s reassuring yet homely. Faded green, worn-looking carpets of his own design add a nostalgia that Marino describes as 'the kind of old you want to live with', while an adjacent space is dominated by an intriguing reinterpretation of a classic Roman column by the Belgian sculptor Johan Creten. Symbolising 'the spirit of Rome, the eternal flame', it denotes the modern Roman elegance that permeates DOMVS.
ADDRESS
Bulgari
Via dei Condotti, 10
Rome
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Riva El-Iseo is the legendary boat builder’s first fully-electric motor yacht
The Riva El-Iseo electric speedboat blends classic Italian lines with a silent, powerful and zero-emission powertrain
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Technogym Home Bench 40 ways: designers interpret the home exercise classic
Technogym marks its 40 anniversary with 40 special editions of its Home Bench created in collaboration with international creatives
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
AHEC presents new works in American maple as part of the Wallpaper* Class of ’24
The American Hardwood Export Council takes part in the Wallpaper* Class of ’24 exhibition at Triennale Milano during Salone del Mobile (16-21 April 2024), presenting new pieces by Parti and Giles Tettey Nartey in American hard maple
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Bulgari and David Chipperfield unite for Rome’s Torlonia Marbles exhibition
‘The Torlonia Marbles. Collecting Masterpieces’ exhibition has opened at the recently-renovated Capitoline Museums at Villa Caffarelli
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Material world: Peter Marino reflects on bronze, mythology and timeless design
By Elly Parsons Published
-
Peter Marino delves deep into his collection for a new Robert Mapplethorpe show
By Tom Howells Last updated
-
State of the art: Peter Marino’s gallery inspired store for Louis Vuitton
By Laura Hawkins Last updated
-
Peter Marino channels Mapplethorpe’s trinity of sex, flowers and nudes
Architect Peter Marino channels photographer Robert Mapplethorpe's trinity of sex, flowers and nudes at Gallerie Thaddaeus Ropac in Paris
By Amy Verner Last updated
-
Art Basel Miami Beach 2014: big-ticket artists and collectors bring the Floridian fair to the fore
By Caroline Roux Last updated
-
Peter Marino interview
By Malaika Byng Published