Original frescoes, columns and marble features remain, now framed by a contemporary redesign that reimagines the interiors and redefines the palace with a new spatial sequence.
In the corridors, light flows over the Rosso Verona marble, gleams on the rich woodwork and settles on the handcrafted furniture. The carpets reflect the warm hues of Rome’s rooftops, and each room evokes the refinement of the historic carriages of the Orient Express – intimate and luxurious settings, designed for the art of travel.
Each suite has its own identity. Stendhal, with its vaulted ceilings and restored frescoes, evokes the French writer Stendhal, who once stayed here, and opens out onto the Pantheon and Piazza della Minerva. Obelisco overlooks Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s famous elephant in the square, whilst the La Minerva suite, at the top of the building, seems to float above the city’s rooftops. The Orient Express, the largest of them all, features a library, living and dining rooms arranged around bespoke furnishings, in an atmosphere that evokes the serene elegance of the legendary opulent carriages.