The famous 18th century Spanish Steps were officially reopened on 22 September after a 1 year restoration supported by Bulgari, the Italian jewellery brand of the French luxury goods group LVMH. The restoration was funded with a contribution of €1.5 million. 

“Rome has always been the number one source of inspiration for Bulgari so it is right to give back to Rome what Rome has given Bulgari” said the company’s chief executive, Jean-Christophe Babin. 

The restoration of the stairway, immortalised by the late American actors Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in the film Roman Holiday, included stain removal, the re-levelling of the steps, the repairing of cracked paving stones and the original lamps that lit up the steps.