Bulgari has offered €1.5m to restore the Spanish Steps in Rome in response to the Italian government’s appeal for help. Due to start in 2015, this private-public project coincides with the jewelry and luxury goods company’s 130th anniversary. Now owned by the LMVH group, Bulgari joins other private companies that have “adopted” Roman landmarks in recent years, including Tod’s that has pledged €25m to the Colosseum and Fendi, which is sponsoring a €2.1m restoration of the Trevi fountain. While welcome, these projects also raise questions about the “branding” of cultural patrimony
