Castel Madama (Lazio)

A heist, an art detective and a bus stop: The story of an early Titian masterpiece that goes up for auction this week has more twists and turns than a Dan Brown bestseller.

Though the glamorous French actress was well-known for her turn in Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman (1966), it was her roles in Federico Fellini’s films that cemented her as an Italian cinema icon. 

The goal of the €18 million initiative is to link the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Baths of Caracalla and the Circus Maximus. The winning design was submitted by Rome-based firm Studio Labics. 

Having once served as the Rome headquarters of its namesake sewing machine corporation, this cozy boutique hotel preserves all of its original Art Deco details, making it a rarity in central Rome.