DAUGHTER OF THE FAMOUS ITALIAN ARISTOCRATIC HOUSE ISABELLA BORROMEO INVITES HELLO! INSIDE THE SPECTACULAR ROMAN PALAZZO SHE CALLS HOME

Isabella Borromeo is one of Italy's most fascinating women. An aristocratic beauty who is as engaging as she is elegant, she is never predictable.

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Among her many facets, she's a world traveller with a soft spot for deserts, a voracious reader and fan of folk wisdom, a renowned hostess and, above all, a loving, handson mother of three.

Like Isabella herself, the stunning Roman palazzo in which she lives is full of surprises. Amid its wealth of frescoes and antique treasures are countless personal touches that make it a welcoming home. She credits her beloved father, Count Carlo Borromeo, with instilling a strong sense of family in all of his children.

Her impeccable style sense which she shares with sisters Lavinia and Matilde and half-sister Beatrice (wife of Monaco royal Pierre Casiraghi) - was nurtured by designer Marta Marzotto, Beatrice’s late grandmother, whom Isabella thinks of as her own “nonna.”

Tell us about this breathtaking house and its origins. 

It’s situated close to the famous Via Veneto in the Villa Borghese park and was built as a hunting pavilion back in the 16th century. In those days, it was called Grotta Pallotta, was nowhere near as large and was surrounded by woodland. I don’t think anyone lived here – it was somewhere to leave your horse, rest and have a meal.

Later, the architect Vignola built the staircase and extended the upper part. We have frescoes here showing 16th-century local landscapes, which were identified for us by an art-historian friend. There’s one of the park at the time the palazzo was built. We’ve had them restored, changing only the coat of arms.