Fittingly set in Rome’s historic centre, along the Via del Corso, 16th-century Palazzo Roma has all the trappings of a modern mansion, without compromising the remnants of its (not so humble) past. The interior’s frescoed framework – adorned with gold-hued cherubs – was originally commissioned by resident aristocrats, and still stands as a reminder of Rome’s Renaissance. Upstairs, its 39 rooms adopt more modern Italian motifs, while keeping high coffered ceilings, handmade tapestries and regal tones. Creamy cacio e pepe is served at the fit-for-royalty restaurant, and sculpted composers survey the shenanigans in the Sala della Musica – just some of the ways past tradition plays with the present here.