Designer Athena Calderone’s Extravagant Milestone Celebration in Rome

When New York–based interior designer Athena Calderone realized her 50th birthday and 25th wedding anniversary would coincide last year, she knew the double milestone called for a party. So she and her husband, Victor, a DJ and music producer, planned a two-pronged, nine-day trip to Italy. They began with an intimate vow renewal in Umbria and then let the festivities roll in Rome with 50 of their closest friends. “That city holds this rich historic legacy, and I feel like our love does too,” Calderone says. Here she shares the locals-only spots that drove the itinerary and the “opulent and over-the-top” hotel where guests danced till dawn.

Warm glow

In Umbria the couple stayed at Castiglione Ugolino, part of the Tenuta di Murlo estate just north of Perugia. “Our vow-renewal ceremony took place within the villa’s 13th-century church. It was just us and immediate family: our son Jivan, mom, brother, sister-in-law, and our childhood best friends—illuminated by candlelight.”

Athena Calderone, pictured with her husband at Palazzo Talìa, also designed the party tablescapes

Paolo Abate

Party planning

In Rome, Calderone booked out Palazzo Talìa, the boutique hotel masterminded by filmmaker Luca Guadagnino’s interior design studio, as both a venue and a place for guests to stay. There, plush carpets in shades of sapphire blue and dusty pink provided a contrast to the 16th-century ceiling frescoes, while custom furniture sat shoulder to shoulder with antiquities. Says the designer, “There was a real coming together of past and present”—which helped unleash her creativity in dreaming up the kind of celebration she wanted to have.

Antipasti at La Matriciana

Paolo Abate

Festive feasts

Rocco, in Rome’s hip Monti neighborhood, hosted a welcome dinner of polpettine in tomato sauce, abbacchio alla cacciatora, and cacio e pepe , which guests enjoyed while taking in the playful art collection. Another memorable meal: lunch at the family-owned La Matriciana. “They’ve never once done a buyout,” Calderone says. “But a friend of mine, Daria Reina, who owns the store Chez Dede, is a regular and made a call. They were all so warm and lovely. They even gave me a gift. I swear they feel like family now.”

Pilgrimage sites

For her guests Calderone arranged a tour of Museo Hendrik Christian Andersen, the museum inside a house once owned by the Norwegian sculptor: “Even friends who know Rome well weren’t aware of it.” She also paid a visit to Museo Mario Praz, an apartment turned museum filled with 1,200 objects.

This article appeared in the April 2025 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.