WELCOME RECEPTION
Thursday, June 5, 2025, 19:45- 22:45
Location: Grand Hotel Plaza
Beginning at the Porta del Popolo—magnificently reimagined by Bernini with a striking scenographic flair—you arrive at the splendid Piazza del Popolo, long considered the open-air salon of the Eternal City, Rome. Continuing along the northern stretch of Via del Corso, the avenue unfolds before the Church of San Carlo, a site consecrated since Roman times, just steps from the majestic Mausoleum of Augustus.
It is here that the luxury Grand Hotel Plaza rises—a symbol of refined Roman hospitality. The atmosphere within the Plaza is truly singular, as though time itself has paused to preserve and celebrate the eternal cultural spirit of the city. While it evokes the grandeur of antiquity, there is nothing outdated in its design: every detail reflects a contemporary vision of beauty, comfort, and a hospitality that speaks the timeless language of art.
Among its most notable residents was the celebrated composer Pietro Mascagni, who made the Grand Hotel Plaza his home from 1927 until his passing in 1945. The hotel was a cherished sanctuary for the maestro, whose bust now adorns the façade, aligned with the very windows of the suite where he died on August 2, 1945. Within these walls, Mascagni composed his final opera, Nerone, in 1933—a testament to the enduring creative spirit that permeates this iconic Roman residence.
