The 1894 Dawn of Roman Modernity
Following the unification of Italy and the designation of Rome as capital in 1871, the urban morphology of the city underwent a sweeping modernization program. The broad avenues leading from the newly built Stazione Termini to the banks of the Tiber demanded monumental architecture capable of hosting foreign dignitaries, royalty, and international industrialists.
Enter César Ritz, the visionary Swiss hotelier known as the "king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings." Ritz recognized that the burgeoning Italian capital lacked a luxury establishment comparable to Paris or London. Partnering with Italian architect Giulio Podesti, Ritz commenced construction on the Grand Hotel de Rome, which opened its doors in January 1894.
Giulio Podesti's Neoclassical Facade
Podesti envisioned a monumental palazzo that paid homage to cinquecento Roman palaces while integrating late nineteenth-century engineering breakthroughs. The exterior facade on Via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando features heavy rusticated travertine masonry on the lower tier, progressing into refined ashlar blocks, triangular pediments, and wrought-iron balconies on the piano nobile.
The building introduced engineering milestones previously unseen in Rome: full electric illumination throughout guest rooms and salons, advanced steam heating infrastructure, and an iconic wrought-iron hydraulic elevator. Still meticulously preserved and operable today, the historic elevator cage remains an architectural marvel of Belle Époque engineering.
The Frescoes of Mario Spinetti
Inside the celebrated Ritz Ballroom, artistic heritage reaches its artistic peak. The ceiling and upper wall vaults feature original frescoes executed in 1894 by Roman painter Mario Spinetti. Spinetti’s cycle captures mythological allegories celebrating music, romantic love, seasonal harvests, and classical dance.
Surrounding the frescoes are hand-carved gilded moldings, trompe-l'œil architectural borders, and mirrors framed in gold leaf that multiply the illumination of monumental Bohemian crystal chandeliers. During the 2018 comprehensive restoration, heritage conservators worked under the oversight of the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio di Roma to clean and stabilize every square centimeter of Spinetti’s delicate tempera layers.
Galleria Continua Partnership: Contemporary Dialogue
Rather than treating its historic walls solely as a static museum, The St. Regis Rome entered an ongoing cultural alliance with Galleria Continua—one of the world's preeminent contemporary art galleries.
Through this partnership, the grand public spaces, salons, and garden corridors regularly showcase site-specific installations, sculptures, and paintings from internationally celebrated contemporary artists. Notable installations have featured monumental works by Ai Weiwei, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Pascale Marthine Tayou, and Loris Cecchini. This intentional dialogue between nineteenth-century stuccoes and provocative contemporary forms ensures that the palazzo remains a vibrant cultural nexus in modern Rome.
Conservation Architecture: Pierre-Yves Rochon's Restraint
When designer Pierre-Yves Rochon undertook the recent comprehensive transformation of the hotel, his primary mandate was architectural conservation combined with contemporary comfort.
Dark Victorian draperies were removed to unveil original stone archways and vaulted ceilings. Historic terrazzo floors were uncovered, polished, and complemented with custom woven carpets echoing the geometric motifs of ancient Roman mosaics. In LUMEN, an expansive glass ceiling was re-engineered to flood the salon with natural light, creating an airy winter garden that recalls nineteenth-century Roman greenhouse structures.