“The only word Elizabeth knows in Italian is Bulgari.” Richard Burton once quipped about Elizabeth Taylor during their passionate love affair and jewelry rendezvous at the famous Bulgari store on Via Condotti in Rome. While I would bet that Taylor knew more Italian, it’s a perfect line for a couple who were some of the many stars who helped the brand shine, carve out its rightful place in Italian history and also hints at what the globally renowned brand is about.

For me, the name Bulgari is as indigenous to Rome’s history as the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Tiber. Maybe not as steeped in the architecture or antiquity of the Eternal City but a part of Rome’s narrative and culture since the 19th century when Italian silversmith Sotirio Bulgari left his home in Greece in 1884.