What was once the HQ of the largest communist party in the Western world is being converted into a luxury hotel.
The elegant building, close to the Capitoline Hill in Rome, was bought by the Italian Communist Party (PCI) in 1946. It was the party’s home in the post-war years, when it enjoyed the support of more than 2m members and could call on tens of thousands of armed men in the event of a military coup.
Features including an entrance hall designed by the sculptor Giò Pomodoro, a bust of the party leader Antonio Gramsci, and a cabinet containing a flag of the Paris Commune will be retained while the rest of the building is converted into a 70-room, five-star hotel with rooftop restaurant.
The project was revealed by Giampaolo Angelucci, the president of the Tosinvest holding company, which has interests in media and healthcare and now owns the historic building.
