The Italian Job

Tapped to revive the 18th-century Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini as the new Six Senses Rome hotel, Patricia Urquiola did a deep dive into the history of the Eternal City. “The research started from materials, colors, and details that speak of Rome,” says the architect. “The heritage, the classicism, and the original architecture guided the whole concept.” Interiors feature local mainstays like travertine, cocciopesto, and mosaics, all the while calling to mind a tranquil garden oasis thanks to the abundant plantings, splashes of green marble, and a digitally printed landscape mural. (Hung above the reception desk, that artwork is based on the frescoes at Livia’s ancient villa.) Meanwhile, the spa’s baths, encompassing a caldarium, a tepidarium, and a frigidarium, nod to the myth of Apollo and Daphne in bas-relief. As part of the project, Six Senses also supported a restoration to the neighboring San Marcello al Corso church. Take in up-close views of its awesome profile from the two-bedroom Mellini Suite—accommodations fit for an emperor. No doubt Caesar Augustus would approve. sixsenses.com —LAURA ITZKOWITZ