A Tale of TWO CITIES

Catherine Fairweather finds a dream-like world of old-school glamour aboard the new Orient Express journey from Rome to Venice, where ancient ruins melt into rolling Italian landscapes steeped in Renaissance romance.

- BY CATHERINE FAIRWEATHER

The best adventures begin with a sense of anticipation, and the buildup to my embarkation on the new La Dolce Vita Orient Express starts 48 hours before the train is due to depart, when a limousine picks me up from the airport and chauffeurs me to La Minerva in Rome, Orient Express' first hotel. Located in the historic centre beside the Pantheon, it originally opened in 1811 to accommodate the capital's swell of “grand tourists”, was home to Stendhal and was later patronised by Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. Following a comprehensive restoration by the high-end Italian hospitality group Arsenale, in partnership with the French hotel and luxury giants Accor and LVMH, it has been relaunched to coincide with the inauguration of La Dolce Vita.

The opulent decor references the trunks, straps and wheels of the original Orient Express carriages, even featuring the same Rivolta Carmignani linens. But there's no embellishment needed on a 360-degree view over old Rome: the iconic Bernini Elephant and Obelisk in Piazza Minerva below and the Pantheon's dome.