Bvlgari to restore Rome's Largo Argentina site

High-end brand Bvlgari is slated to give Roman archaeological site Largo di Argentina a makeover. The line – which has produced jewellery and luxury goods since the late 20th-century – will fork over a reported €800,000 to restore the ancient ruins. Officials estimate that the project will take roughly 10 months, with a potential inauguration date set for January 2020.

Rome's archaeological site at Largo di Torre Argentina is to be restored in a €1 million project sponsored by luxury jeweller Bvlgari, with a completion date in the second half of 2021.

Rome mayor Virginia Raggi has thanked Bvlgari for what she describes as an "act of love for the city" while the deputy mayor Luca Bergamo said the site's many cats would not be disturbed.

The works will reportedly include a new entry into the site, including elevator access, under the tower, with new paths around the archaeological area.

The so-called sacred area of Largo Argentina is best known as being the scene of Julius Caesar's assassination; it is also the home of a popular cat sanctuary.

The plan to restore the site follows Bvlgari's €1.5 million restoration of the Spanish Steps in 2016.

In 2014, to celebrate the 130th anniversary of its founding, Bvlgari thus decided to adopt the Spanish Steps as a symbolic tribute to a city that contributed so decisively to the success of the Maison. The restoration, completed in 2016, focussed on cleaning, reinforcing and protecting all all surfaces, and improving public safety with the restoration of individual steps. For Bvlgari the Eternal City isn'tjust an exceptional backdrop, but is also an inexhaustible source of inspiration. In a continuing creative dialogue brimming with direct quotes and allusions, many elementsofRome's artistic and architectural heritageexquisitely find theirwayinto the design of Bvlgari jewels. To celebrate this precious affinity, in 2015 the Maison financed the restoration of the polychrome floor mosaics of the western entrance palestra in the Baths of Caracalla; theirfan motif with its pure and perfect lines inspired the Divas' Dream collection.

In 2016, to mark the opening of the Serpenti Form exhibition held at the Museum of Rome – Palazzo Braschi, the Maison invested in the renovation of the lighting system of the museum's grand staircase, to better illuminate the splendid stuccowork that decorates the ceiling of this architectural jewel. So the objective of Bvlgari's cultural patronage is to contribute to safeguarding open air monuments that symbolise the Eternal City, such as the Spanish Steps, but also treasures hidden within palazzi and archaeological areas which need to be brought back to light - or rediscovered in new light.

Bvlgari's commitment to Rome also focuses on projects that make the capital a protagonist of the future international scenarios of art and culture. Since 2017 Bvlgari has started a partnership with MAXXI - National Museum of the XXI Century Arts, promoting MAXXI BVLGARI PRIZE, a prestigious award dedicated to young protagonists of contemporary art.