Celebrating Bulgari’s 140-year anniversary, creative director Lucia Silvestri tours her favorite places in the Eternal City.
Photo: Joseph Cardo
It’s a pleasant summer day in Rome, and we make our way through the bustling Piazza di Spagna, packed to the brim with tourists. We’re meeting Lucia Silvestri, Bulgari’s creative director, at the Via dei Condotti boutique. The brand recently celebrated its 140th anniversary at the Baths of Diocletian in Rome, and Silvestri can’t stop beaming. “Bulgari has an incredible history, and it’s our responsibility to maintain the DNA of the brand but with a touch of modernity,” she says.
Since its inception, Bulgari has been synonymous with Rome, taking inspiration from various elements of the Eternal City, its history, the landscape, and even the dolce vita. As you enter the boutique, on the left side is a permanent space dedicated to heritage pieces – an episcopal ring reminiscent of Rome’s many ancient domes; a cabochon necklace and earrings in varying shades of blue inspired by its vistas. For Silvestri, who is Roman herself, it comes as second nature to translate her surroundings into her designs. “Rome is in my blood. While gems are my first source of inspiration, Rome is my second – its colors, the layers of its history, and even its attitude. We like our lifestyle – our coffees, gelatos, and cornettos. This is quintessentially Roman. We like joy, and that is reflected in Bulgari’s necklaces. I call our necklaces happy.” Silvestri is getting ready to take us around the capital to some of the places that constantly inspire her, and we are set to soak it all in.
Photo: Joseph Cardo
In a chic linen suit and pink platform heels, Silvestri looks effortless, and I can’t help but ask her about the necklaces she’s wearing – a long sautoir and a Tubogas Monete choker. “I forgot one more necklace,” she adds shyly. Meanwhile, vintage earrings dangle playfully from her ears. She…
