IFLM offers “Premier concierge services for Italian art and culture,” according to Filippo Cosmelli, the company’s founder and director. I had been promised a personal introduction to the hidden gems of the Italian capital, conducted by Cosmelli himself. Private art collections, exclusive restaurants, private dining, vintage Italian sportscars and an introduction to the contemporary Roman art scene awaited me.
IFLM started up as a service Cosmelli offered to his friends, the base for the company was already there, “IFLM came into existence in a peculiar way. I built a company around existing clients when I realised that so many people needed the service. I already had a precise idea of what IFLM should be: a personal contact in Rome to enjoy a certain way of life here and throughout the country.” After working with his friends, mainly ex-pats, Cosmelli branched out to in-the-know tourists and Romans themselves.
The St. George Hotel on the Via Giulia was to be my base for the trip, it turned out that IFLM performs concierge services for a number of boutique hotels in the city, the St. George being one of them. Nestled in a maze of narrow streets and in the shadow of any number of historic buildings, the St. George was the perfect starting point as I got to know this ancient city.
The first item on the agenda was a guided, personal tour around the Palazzo Colonna, one of Rome’s grandest private art collections. Just off a bustling street, under an archway and through a guarded gate lay an incredible collection of Italian art, statues, paintings, decorative mirrors and painted ceilings. Stepping off a Roman street and into the private rooms and hallways of a private residence that’s full of fine examples of Italian and Roman artwork was incredible. Hidden from view, yet a mere 20 feet away from a busy road, the Palazzo Colonna is something that, chances are, you’d never have heard about. Yet IFLM brought me to the door, and arranged a private viewing. “My fortune was to grow up in an environment that linked me to people and places. I did my part when I learnt how to use it and share it with clients,” Cosmelli says. Without his team’s knowledge and contacts, none of this would be possible. This is a company with a personal touch.
Palazzo Colonna was the kind of experience that typifies IFLM, the rare, the exotic, or simply the hidden are what the team specialises in. Cosmelli is Roman through and through, but IFLM’s team includes foreigners and Italians from outside the city, “This helps, Rome and Romans are often quite slow and lazy about looking around. I can definitely say that this has made IF more professional. Regretfully, this is rare in Rome.” His love affair with the city can sometimes make it difficult for him to take a blunt approach, “It’s useful to have a foreign eye. I’m used to certain things; some things are easily solved from a different perspective.”
The rest of my first day was taken up by food, talking about it, eating it and enjoying it. Cosmelli’s team includes a gourmet chef, who hosts dinner parties for IFLM’s clients, be they a couple on a romantic evening, or larger parties. As if a personal gourmet chef isn’t enough, she happens to live in a penthouse in the centre of Rome and enjoys a fantastic terrace. Sipping champagne and sampling fine food while watching the Sun set over Roman rooftops is an experience I can recommend.
After eating at Antica Pesa we visited a private bar, one to which only 40 people have access. After punching in a keycode we entered a small lounge area where politicians and businessmen can go to enjoy privacy and fine food cooked in the restaurant two doors up. A personal bartender catering to your needs and a conferencing link to the kitchen, allowing you to talk to the chef were perhaps the highlights.
The following afternoon we set out in a red, convertible 1960s vintage Fiat for a tour of Rome, including a leisurely trip through the Appian Way. There’s nothing like seeing Rome from the seat of a classic Italian sportscar, the growling engine and antiquated suspension really added to the experience as we zipped down narrow roads into what seemed like the countryside. For those of you that don’t know, the Appian Way is an ancient route connecting Rome to Southern Italy; it’s a protected area, meaning that ancient ruins line the road, neighbouring private houses and is reminiscent of the South of France.
IFLM have arranged a series of tours involving vehicles for their clients. One client from Jeddah took his daughter on a Harley Davidson tour in Northern Italy, stopping off at local hotels along the route; another rented a number of private yachts for a trip to Capri. In Rome itself, Cosmelli and his team have access to a wide variety of classic vehicles, from the red Fiat to a horde of vintage Vespas.
The morning after the tour I had the chance to visit an up-and-coming Roman artist with a focus on the Middle East. Pietro Ruffo’s art focus on the idea of safety and security within the Middle East and is frankly, refreshing. He stresses that his work promotes the idea of dialogue and is an articulate and thoughtful speaker. Having displayed his work in London, Rome, Algeria, Milan, Tokyo and New York, Ruffo is clearly on the up. Getting a chance to meet him was a highlight of the trip. Though I must admit, it was hard to choose a ‘highlight’.
The artist’s group that Ruffo was involved with was located in an old pasta factory in an area of Rome less frequented by tourists. It’s this kind of experience that IFLM is keen to promote; the sort of authentic, personal experience that you won’t find in a guidebook, or even learn about from your hotel concierge. “You have to have connections and intimate knowledge to open the rarest of doors,” says Cosmelli. “Rome is a city that even Romans don’t know properly. A hotel concierge will never be as knowledgeable or as up to date as we are. We make research a central aspect of our work and much of what we arrange is done through personal contacts and relationships. Plus, we always work one on one with clients to ensure that every detail and request is personally attended to.”
The final part of the trip entailed sampling the services of a personal shopper. Shopping while on holiday falls in to two categories, depending on the person, it’s either something to look forward to, or it’s, well, a chore. Not so with Kika Repetto, IFLM’s resident style-queen. Repetto guides you around the most exclusive boutiques and seems to know every member of staff in each of the stores you’ll visit. It’s a refreshing approach to shopping and very personal. Added to that, she’s got access to some interesting people and places. For example, she tells me it’s possible to visit Fendi and get your hands on a bespoke mink coat, “She [the client] can choose the pelt with the help of a craftsman and she’ll then sign it to guarantee it’s hers.” The coat is then made to measure, following the client’s exact instructions, “Maybe she wants it a little lighter on the front, or darker on the back,” Repetto says. “This way she can have a coat that’s completely hers.” But only in Rome and, one suspects, only if you know who to talk to. You can almost hear the doors opening.
My final evening was spent at one of Cosmelli’s favourite spots and brought home what IFLM do. He’d been coming to the cafe for years and knew the regulars, the staff and the history of the buildings all around us. Being brought into the heart of a vibrant city, being exposed to the local treasures and finally taking a seat at a local café surrounded by Romans chatting and enjoying a drink as the sun set summed up IFLM. Anyone can visit Rome, but very few get the chance to experience Rome. With IFLM as your guide, you can’t go wrong.
IF Lifestyle Management
Rome, Italy
HYPERLINK "http://www.iflm.it/" \o "http://www.iflm.it/
blocked::http://www.iflm.it/" www.iflm.it
HYPERLINK "mailto:info@iflm.it" \o "mailto:info@iflm.it
blocked::mailto:info@iflm.it" info@iflm.it
Tel: +39 0697841951
