Literary Travel in London, Florence and Rome
Guided by the pages of influential writers, we explore the imagination behind the most romantic of European cities.
Located at the top of Rome’s iconic Spanish Steps, our newest property, Hotel de la Ville, pays homage to the European Grand Tour. During the 18th and 19th centuries, young gentlemen were sent on a tour of Europe, intended to enlighten and educate. Rome was an essential stop on every tour, as the city’s long history reaching from the ancient to the Renaissance yielded a wealth of culture.
Hotel de la Ville’s elegant design mirrors the traditions of the Grand Tour, from the collecting of objets and works of art to the seamless blend of the ancient and the contemporary that so symbolises the Eternal City. Olga Polizzi, Director of Design Rocco Forte Hotels, and renowned architect Tommaso Ziffer have taken this to heart in the hotel’s 104 rooms, combining traditional artisanal skills with contemporary elegance.
Rekindling a thirst for knowledge and sense of exploration, Hotel de la Ville has curated its very own selection of enriching local experiences that encapsulate the ethos of the Grand Tour.
Our Contemporary Art Itinerary discovers Rome’s buzzing modern art scene with a behind-the-scenes tour of the hottest art galleries, artists’ studios and museums, including the acclaimed MAXXI. For scent-lovers, our Olfactive Itinerary will take you on a journey inside one of Rome’s most stunning boutiques and perfume specialists. Our tour of the 19th century Palazzo Chauvet treats gets to indulgent beauty treatments accompanied by cocktails in unrivalled surroundings.
To reserve your stay at Hotel de la Ville, email reservations.delaville@roccofortehotels.com or call +39 06 32 888 880.
Guided by the pages of influential writers, we explore the imagination behind the most romantic of European cities.
Sicily is “the key to everything”, or so wrote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his works, Italian Journey. Throughout history, the largest island in the Mediterranean has captivated travellers as a land of myth, natural beauty and ancient memory. Shaped by Greek colonies, Emirates of Crete, Roman Provinces, Norman Kingdoms and Spanish rule, Sicily holds the imprint of civilisations past. Woven into its landscapes, their presence remains with its buildings, ruins and along the pretty coastal paths that follow its shores.
Vivacious, glamorous, powerful. Few figures encapsulate the effortless grandeur of the Belle Époque quite like Donna Franca, our Sicilian muse. Famed for her petite frame, thick dark hair and an exquisite fashion sense that has endured for over a century, Franca was the epitome of an era that placed beauty and high fashion at its forefront.