few cities are as steeped in history, culture, romance, and jaw

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Rome
P1
The cult pocket city guides and mobile
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CITI PRESENTS LUXE CITY GUIDES
luxecityguides.com
FEW CITIES ARE AS
STEEPED IN HISTORY,
CULTURE, ROMANCE, AND
JAW-DROPPING ANCIENT
ARCHITECTURE AS ROME.
The Romans love life, and who are we to
deny them? So embrace Rome with open
arms and go as often as you can, for as
many days as you can – there’s simply
nowhere else like it.
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LUXE ROME
Intro
The sheer scale and breathtaking
preservation of the city’s greatest
monuments is a joy to behold. And
then there is the food, the art, the
fashion, and of course, la dolce vita.
Blah Blah
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Blah blah
• Rome is super-saturated with visitors
on all major holidays, particularly
religious ones; the best times to visit
are Oct-Nov and Jan-Feb; August broils,
the population flees en masse and the
city all but shuts, although at least the
streets are relatively crowd free – your
call
• Fiumicino to Centro set fare by taxi:
€40 / 40 mins
• Ciampino to Centro set fare by taxi:
€30 / 35 mins
P2
• Sep-Nov: Roma Europa Art Festival –
music, dance and theatre /
romaeuropa.net
Oct/Nov: Festival Internazionale del
Film di Roma / romacinemafest.it
• Shops generally open from 10am­
7.30pm, although smaller ones take an
afternoon pause from 1-4pm, and most
close all day Sunday and on Monday
mornings too
• Restaurants and services tend to close
on Sunday as well, so use this day for
museums and activities
• Taxi drivers are notorious for
adding extras, so watch the meter,
Peter. In town, the meter’s red
dot should be next to the #1; if not,
he’s diddling you...
• Always book well ahead for the city’s
best tables and be sure to reconfirm as
reservations often get ‘lost’
• Check your change, Romans rarely
tip their drivers
• Service is always included, but add up
to 10% anyway
• Stillies + cobbled streets don’t mix,
so break out the flats
• All indoor restaurants and bars are
non-smoking
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LUXE ROME
Intro
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LUXE Loves
• Bars are legally required to let
non-patrons use loos which is terribly
useful if you’re caught short
• Coffee etiquette: caffè/espresso is a
single shot, doppio is a double shot,
Americano is a long black
• Drinking cappuccino after midday
is considered a tad declassé
• The international country code is +39,
all local calls are prefixed with 06,
Italian cell phones all start with 3; for
general emergencies dial 113
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Kika Repetto
PERSONAL SHOPPER
Style consultant Kika Repetto is the
city’s go-to personal shopper offering
full- or half-day bespoke itineraries
tailored to match each client’s budget
and taste. Commuting between Rome,
São Paulo, Paris and London she keeps
a firm finger on the pulse of all the
latest trends and forecasts, openings,
closings and city secrets.
+39 328 696 4886, by appt only
P3
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Intro
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Kika Repetto
WHAT’S THE ONE THING
EVERY VISITOR TO ROME
MUST DO AND WHY?
WHERE WOULD YOU GO FOR
A COCKTAIL AND WHAT
WOULD YOU ORDER?
WHAT’S THE BEST LOCAL
DELICACY IN ROME AND
WHERE IS IT WORTH TRYING?
View Rome from the top! From the
Passeggiata del Gianicolo by the statue
of Garibaldi, from the terrace of Musei
Capitolini, or Hotel Eden’s La Terrazza
dell’Eden (fantastic for drinks), from the
Pincio Villa Borghese, or from the terrace
of Castel Sant’Angelo – all offer sublime
views of the city around sunset.
Salotto 42 in the Piazza di Pietra.
Very good drinks in a cool modern
atmosphere in front of Rome’s most
striking columns, just steps away from
the Pantheon. Good music, and a young
and hip Roman crowd. I love their
Bloody Mary with a twist of lemon.
The burrata and dried pachino tomatoes
with nut bread is to die for at Roscioli,
one of the best Italian gourmet shops
with a small restaurant in the back. Make
sure you book!
WHAT’S THE BEST TIME OF
YEAR TO VISIT ROME? ARE
THERE ANY SPECIAL EVENTS
TO LOOK OUT FOR?
WHERE CAN YOU BE FOUND
ON A SATURDAY OR SUNDAY
MORNING?
May: flowers everywhere, walls covered
in jasmine, the entire town is jasminescented! Visit the Roseto Comunale
(open from April to October – an amazing
rose garden with 1,100 different varieties
of rose).
P4
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LUXE ROME
Intro
In spring or on a sunny winter day, for
lunch at Caffé Ciampini at Piazza Trinita
dei Monti by the Spanish Steps, or
Ciampini in Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina
for cappuccino and cornetti.
Blah Blah
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P5
J.K. PLACE ROMA
BABUINO 181
PORTRAIT SUITES
Hotel
Hotel
Hotel
Perfectly located sister to the ultrastylish J.K. Place in Florence and the
wonderfully glamorous J.K. Capri, this
30-room and suite retreat from the hurly­
burly features top-to-toe contemporary
design splendor from interior guru
Michele Bonan. Perfect for a
sophisticated tryst!
Fabulously situated, molto elegante
contemporary chambers wrapped in a
C.18th palazzo, with comp. WiFi, snappy
service and quieter courtyard-facing
rooms for light sleepers, and all but a
Gucci loafer’s toss from Piazza Popolo,
Hotel de Russie and the lovely shopping
of Via Margutta and Via Condotti. Bliss.
This 14-suite ‘residence’ oozes
Ferragamo’s attention to detail and
style, with attentive staff, a calm palette
of limed woods and dove grey, plus
a chic rooftop deck that’s perfect for
sunset views of the city. All rooms have
kitchenettes, while #51 has a private
terrace and #52 is a super-doop duplex.
Via di Monte d’Oro, 30 / Corso
+39 6 982 634
Via del Babuino, 181 / Popolo
+39 6 3229 5295
Via Bocca di Leone, 23 / Spagna
+39 6 6938 0742
jkroma.com
romeluxurysuites.com
lungarnocollection.com
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Intro
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PIERLUIGI
AROMA
Dining
Dining
Hello, gorgeous! The stylista set get their
fish fix at this delightful Campo dé Fiori
classic, with lovely street-side eating area
and smashing cocktails at the itsy-bitsy
bar. Lunch is fun, but go at night for
added romance and several Manhattans
– ask for a visit and tasting in the timberlined, vaulted wine cellar.
Palazzo Manfredi’s rooftop fine diner now
has a Michelin star to go with her stellar
vistas of the neighboring Colosseum and
surrounding Centro Storico. And to pair
with the perfect panoramas – equally gobsmacking seasonal and locally-sourced
plates that are best enjoyed during a
sunset dinner. Ahhh Roma!
Piazza dé Ricci, 144 / Campo
+39 6 686 1302
Palazzo Manfredi / Via Labicana, 125
Colosseum / +39 6 9761 5109
Via della Madonna dei Monti, 9 / Monti
+39 6 679 8643
pierluigi.it
aromarestaurant.it
latavernadeiforiimperiali.com
AL MORO
IL GELATO DI SAN CRISPINO
FRENI E FRIZIONI
Dining
Dining
Bar
Fellini was a fan, and Valentino still is.
Head to this charming time warp for
polished woods, nostalgic photographs
and traditional recipes served up with
old-fashioned finesse. Try the house
specialty, Spaghetti Al Moro (a version of
carbonara) and don’t worry, Franco the
grumpy owner is grumpy with everyone,
not just you!
There’s ice-cream, and then there’s San
Crispino gelati. This traditional parlor
delivers divine homemade honey,
meringue, ginger and fig amongst many,
many others, and while you have to run
the gauntlet of the Trevi milling masses to
get to it, it sure is worth it when you do.
Dreamy and creamy!
Roma’s fashionistas love the relaxed
but chic vibe of this former Trastevere
auto repair shop turned hip imbiber.
The moniker translates to “brakes and
clutches” – so stop your engines for
great cocktails and plush sounds. During
clement summer eves the crowd spills out
onto the Tiber-side piazza for al-frisky
aperitivo hour.
Vicolo delle Bollette, 13 / Trevi
+39 6 678 3495
LA TAVERNA DEI FORI
IMPERIALI
Via della Panetteria, 42 / Trevi
+39 6 679 3924 / + branches
ilgelatodisancrispino.it
ristorantealmororoma.eu
P6
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LUXE ROME
Intro
Dining
Packed to the rafters and always popular,
the no-nonsense, big-flavor cooking and
cheerful, swift service keep diners coming
back for more. If you like gingham on your
table, and classic dishes like carbonara
or meat loaf on your plate, you’ll be in
heaven.
Via del Politeama, 4-6 / Trastevere
+39 6 4549 7499
freniefrizioni.com
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IL GOCCETTO
DOM
BEPPE E SUOI FORMAGGI
Bar
Bar
Shopping
As you amble down Via dei Banchi
Vecchi at lunchtime, but more especially
in the evening, you’ll see patrons spilling
out onto the street at this greatly loved
and mellow institution that specializes
in small labels from Sicily to Venice.
Fun and friendly.
Slip past the doors into this C.17th
aristocratic palace turned moody
boutique bijou, and slink into the
seductive drinking den where exposed
brick, lush velvet, and dim chandeliers
set the scene. In the summer the rustic
terrace is prime for alfresco canoodles.
Owner Beppe’s Piedmont-made cheese
and butter will tantalise tastebuds and
damage waistlines in equal measure,
while a cornucopia of French delicacies
and wine make both ideal picnic baskets
and stellar souvenirs. Wine tastings
available too.
Via dei Banchi Vecchi, 14
Campo di Fiori
+39 6 686 4268
DOM Hotel
Via Giulia, 131 / Campo di Fiori
+39 6 683 2144
Via di Santa Maria del Pianto, 9a-11
Ghetto
+39 6 6819 2210
ilgoccetto.com
domhotelroma.com
beppeeisuoiformaggi.it
COQUIS
GALLERIA BORGHESE
THE SCAVI TOUR
Activities
Activities
Activities
Dazzle future dinner party guests with
Italian-honed skills, from baking focaccia
and tortas to filleting and pickling fish,
by taking up a one-day course at this
bilingual cooking school. The stellar
lineup of chef instructors includes
two-Michelin-starred Claudio Sadler
of Sadler in Milan and Giulio Terrinoni
of Acquolina in Rome, as well as master
pizzaiolo Pino Arletto. Perfetto!
Not only is the villa pretty, but the
superb, perfectly-sized museum inside
it contains gorgeous works by Titian,
Raphael, Caravaggio and Rubens, as
well as staggering Bernini and Canova
marble masterpieces. What’s more,
tickets are limited and timed, so there
is no push or shove and no over-crowding.
A joy!
Not for the faint-hearted, nor those
suffering from claustrophobia, this
unique tour is severely restricted in
numbers, highly atmospheric and takes
you into the bowels of St. Peter’s Basilica
to visit the original Pagan necropolis
underneath it and purported last resting
place of St. Peter himself.
1/F / Via Flaminia, 575 / Tor di Quinto
+39 6 3322 0082
coquis.it
Villa Borghese
Piazzale Scipione Borghese, 5 / Pinciano
+39 6 328 10
tickets must be booked in advance
Call +39 6 6988 5318 / only bookable in
advance via email [email protected] to the
Vatican Excavations Office
vatican.va
galleriaborghese.it
P7
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TAXI DRIVERS
WAITERS
OPENING TIMES
Notorious for adding extras, watch out
for the red dot scam (see Blah blah)
You could expire and be buried before
being served
What do Roman shopkeepers do on
Sunday, Monday morning, and daily
between 1-4pm?
GRAFFITI
‘CENTURIONS’ AT THE
COLISEUM
Everywhere, particularly Trastevere –
such a shame
P8
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LUXE ROME
Intro
These photo ops are photo flops
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P9
VATICAN VISIT
GETTING AROUND
WINE APPRECIATION
Nothing can be more drab than standing
in line outside the Vatican Museums
with literally thousands of other grumpy
people, so to cut your queue time to only
minutes, book a personal guided tour with
Context Travel. Ta-dah!
Rome’s myriad of tiny streets can mean
getting stuck in noisy traffic on baking
summer days is a strong possibility,
consider instead zipping around town on
your very own scooter or bicycle from
Bici e Baci.
If you enjoy drinking delicious Italian wine
with every meal, you’ll enjoy it all the
more once you understand its nuances.
Arrange a fab wine tasting master class at
Vino Roma and amaze your friends back
home with your newfound knowledge.
PICNIC
COOL OFF
Don’t waste time racing around
town trying to put together hamper
ingredients, pop into GiNa and pick up
a picnic ‘cestino’ packed with summery
goodies.
Being all hot and bothered with nowhere
to cool off and relax is not ideal, but
rather than throw yourself in the Trevi
Fountain, all you have to do is buy lunch
at the Parco dei Principi Hotel and
you can treat yourself to an afternoon
poolside at the hotel’s lovely oasis, one of
the very few swimming pools in the city.
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Romance
Start your day viewing the charming
private family collection housed at the
Palazzo Doria Pamphilj. This vast palazzo
is still home to the Pamphilj family,
and is a fascinating insight into the art
and daily life of the house. The audio
tour is narrated in English by Prince
Jonathan himself. Afterwards head to
Caffè Ciampini for a well-earned coffee,
or better yet, a large portion of their
scandalously good pistachio ice-cream,
before zipping to the Spanish Steps and
popping into GiNa to pick up a picnic (see
Drab vs Fab). Now, off with you to the
sylvan grounds of the Villa Borghese, the
perfect park to eat your lunch alfresco.
Having booked your tickets in advance
you will now be perfectly placed to
saunter into your timed opening slot at
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LUXE ROME
Intro
the sublime Galleria Borghese (see LUXE
Loves), home to some to the loveliest
treasures in the city, and with limited
numbers allowed in at any one time, there
are none of the heaving crowds of the
Vatican Museum. Well, you’ve certainly
earned a pamper, and the glorious,
limpid Wellness Zone spa at the Hotel de
Russie is the perfect place to relax in the
company of the city’s divas and divos who
can’t get enough of the myriad massage
treatments imported from around
the world. As the clock hits 5pm your
thoughts should be turning to Campari
time atop the roof garden of the Raphael
Hotel for the inevitably lovely sunset
over the ravishing city skyline. Cocktails
here come with a handsome selection of
tidbits, but don’t fill up, you’ve only a few
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steps to go outside the hotel to find the
gracefully romantic, tree-lined terrazza
of Santa Lucia (see LUXE Loves) where
a high likelihood of cupidity is always
in the air. Saunter homewards now, but
stop for a nightcap if you can at Bar
della Pace – the streetside tables of this
eternal favorite line one of the city’s most
picturesque backstreets, drenched in
atmosphere and always lively.
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Style
Well, you’ve certainly got a stylish
day ahead, but don’t skimp on the
most important meal of the day;
instead make a beeline to chic café
La Buvette, offering delicious healthconscious and low-cal breakfasts
mostly unheard of in Roma. Suitably
replete, can there be any greater joy
than shopping the nearby streets
Babuino, Margutta and legendary
Condotti? So many shopportunities;
from fashion staple Brunello Cucinelli,
glove emporium Sermoneta, and
home décor at Pratesi, to labelista
Marni and shoe maestro Rene
Caovilla. It’s always important,
of course, to balance retail with
culture, so don’t miss Richard Meier’s
stupendous glass and travertine
‘temple’ that houses the utterly
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LUXE ROME
Intro
beautiful Ara Pacis, or Altar of Peace.
It sits rather conveniently in the same
square as stylish, all-day flop-spot
Gusto, equally great for coffee, lunch
or supper, and rightly famous for its
jazzy Sunday brunch. Drop those
heavy shopping bags back at the
hotel and off with you velocemente
to the fabulous MAXXI. Zaha Hadid’s
architectural tour de force alone is
worth a viz, but the contemporary
art within makes it an afternoon
well spent, and there’s also a natty
café in case you get a sudden attack
of gallery-itis. When the weather
is fine there is little more pleasant
occupation in Rome than escaping
the milling streets to a rooftop bar
for alfresco sundowners surrounded
by the amber rapture of ancient
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buildings, and the lounge bar of
I Sofa di Via Giulia atop the St. George
Hotel perfectly pairs sophisticated
cocktails with stunning views. Hungry?
If you’re after a night of chic, urbane
and elegant dining, make sleekster
Oliver Glowig your choice, and sit
on the poolside garden terrace. Or,
if something a little grittier, relaxed
and local is called for, hotfoot it to
Monti for a table at always popular,
organic regional kitchen Urbana 47. It
just remains to take nightcaps at the
hipcat go-to Freni e Frizioni (see LUXE
Loves), and that’s one stylish day in
the bag!
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Business
Having a summer breakfast meeting?
Try to arrange it at the Hotel De Russie
so you can enjoy the alfresco perfection
of the Jardin de Russie, with its pretty,
clipped shrubs and roses and Michelinstarred chef Fulvio Pierangeli’s cuisine.
Should you have forgotten the mandatory
sunglasses that no Italian would be seen
dead without, fret not, simply scoot
across the road from the hotel to Ottica
Spiezia and get yourself suitably shaded
from their up-to-the-moment range
of specs. There is little or no excuse
for being badly turned-out in Rome
with a plethora of men’s and women’s
outfitters, but for serious men’s shirt
tailoring and excellent suits saunter
down Condotti to find Battistoni, and
classically tasteful men’s and women’s
wear at Brunello Cucinelli. Now that
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LUXE ROME
Intro
you’re sartorially sorted, you will need to
think of grooming. Rome’s ladies-in-the­
know all make tracks to the head-turning
Noi salon where up-dos and blowouts
rule the day from celebs to contessas.
Meanwhile, gentlemen should check into
one-stop guy spot Wonderfool – this
groovy groomer features a barber, spa,
Turkish bath, mini-gym, massages, facials,
male-nails and primping products from
Yosh, Memo, and Geo F. Trumper. Lunch!
When great value and a great venue are
called for, book ahead for the two-course
set lunch at Open Colonna. This soaring
glass conservatory attracts a very stylish,
professional clientele and is also a social
hub at aperitivi hour. Speaking of which,
on the occasion that you may prefer
a quiet business drink away from the
eyes of all, the gloriously old-fashioned
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LUXE Loves
Mascagni Bar scores top marks. Hidden
away in the Grand Hotel Plaza, this
step-back-in-time capsule of brass and
red velvet serves up a very decent
martini and peaceful prosecco, safely
undiscovered by the milling hordes. For
dinner, Dal Bolognese is packed with the
Estab crowd, politicos, WAGS and celebs,
but for a venue where the accent is more
firmly on the food, your clients will love
Antico Arco – great cuisine, swish crowd
and lovely surroundings.
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The Essentials
ROMANCE
STYLE
• Palazzo Doria Pamphilj Via del Corso, 305 / Pantheon
+39 6 679 7323
dopart.it
• Caffè Ciampini
Piazza Trinita dei Monti / Centro
+39 6 678 5678
caffeciampini.com
• GiNa
(see Drab vs Fab)
• Villa Borghese
Piazzale Scipione Borghese, 5
Pinciano
+39 6 841 3979
galleriaborghese.it
• Galleria Borghese
(see LUXE Loves)
• Wellness Zone
Hotel de Russie
Via del Babuino, 9 / Popolo
+39 6 3288 8820 hotelderussie.it
• The Roof Garden
Raphael Hotel
Large Febo, 2 / Piazza Navona
+39 6 682 831
hotelraphael.it
• Santa Lucia
Largo Febo, 12 / Navona +39 6 6880 2427
santaluciaristorante.it
• Caffè della Pace
Via della Pace, 3-7 / Navona
+39 6 686 1216
caffedellapace.it
• La Buvette
Via Vittoria, 44-47 / Spagna +39 6 679 0383
• Brunello Cucinelli
Via Borgognona, 33 / Spagna +39 6 678 7680
brunellocucinelli.com
• Sermoneta
Piazza di Spagna, 61 / Spagna +39 6 679 1960
sermonetagloves.com
• Pratesi
Via Metastasio, 22 / Spagna +39 6 6880 3720 • Marni
Via Bocca di Leone, 8 / Spagna +39 6 678 6320
marni.com
• Rene Caovilla
Via Borgognona, 10 / Spagna
+39 6 678 3879
renecaovilla.com
• Museo dell’Ara Pacis
Lungotevere in Augusta / Corso
+39 6 0608
arapacis.it
P13
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The Essentials
STYLE
BUSINESS
• Gusto
Piazza Augusto Imperatore, 9 / Centro
+39 6 322 6273
gusto.it
• Jardin de Russie
Hotel de Russie
Via del Babuino, 9 / Popolo
+39 6 328 881
hotelderussie.it
• Ottica Spiezia
Via del Babuino, 199 / Popolo
+39 6 361 0593
otticaspiezia.it
• Mascagni Bar
Grand Hotel Plaza
Via del Corso, 126 / Corso
+39 6 6992 1111
grandhotelplaza.com
• Battistoni
Via Condotti 61a / Tridente
+39 6 697 6111
battistoni.com
• Dal Bolognese
Piazza del Popolo, 1 / Popolo
+39 6 322 2799
dalbolognese.it
• Oliver Glowig
Hotel Aldrovandi Villa Borghese
Via Ulisse Aldrovandi, 15 / Pinciano
+39 6 321 6126
oliverglowig.com
• Brunello Cucinelli
Via Borgognona, 33 / Spagna
+39 6 678 7680
brunellocucinelli.com
• Antico Arco
Piazzale Aurelio, 7 / Janiculum
+39 6 581 5274
anticoarco.it
• Urbana 47
Via Urbana, 47 / Monti
+39 6 4788 4006
urbana47.it
• Noi
Piazza del Popolo, 3 / Popolo
+39 6 3600 6284
noisalon.com
• Freni e Frizioni
(see LUXE Loves)
• Wonderfool
Via dei Banchi Nuovi, 39 / Navona
+39 6 6889 2315
wonderfool.it
• MAXXI
Via Guido Reni, 4a / Flaminio
+39 6 322 5178
fondazionemaxxi.it
• I Sofà di Via Giulia
Via Giulia, 62 / Pantheon
+39 6 6866 1245
isofadiviagiulia.com
P14
• Open Colonna
Scalinata di Via Milano, 9a / Centro
+39 6 4782 2641
opencolonna.it
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Intro
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