Symposium 2025: Sacrum et Lumen, Rome
For the first time, in my beloved Rome, behind the closed doors of Palazzo Rondinini, one of its most hidden and precious location, a circle of kindred spirits gathered for the annual Sympsium event. We whispered timeless stories while moving beneath frescoed ceilings, as new synergies slowly and gently began to intertwine beneath the sublime presence of Beauty and Excellence.
My deepest gratitude goes to the Paolo Penko family, who entrusted this project with their extraordinary collection of ecclesiastical jewellery, crafted for the multi-award-winning movie Conclave [2024 - Directed by Edward Berger] under the visionary guidance of our guest of honour, the acclaimed costume designer Lisy Christl. After a great success in the US, the film ‘Conclave’, inspired by the novel by Robert Harris, arrived in Italian cinemas on 19 December 2024 [First presented at the Rome Cinema Festival in October 2024] with an extraordinary cast including Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini and Sergio Castellitto.
“Each piece of jewellery was conceived and designed to reflect the role and personality of the characters, helping to delineate their essence through the art of the goldsmith. The idea behind our work was to use jewellery not only as accessories, but as real narrative tools, capable of telling the story and the character of each protagonist.”
- Riccardo Penko
Not mere props, but unique pieces of jewelry.
Precicely, over 500 of them, including Cardinal crosses, rings, and cufflinks, all masterfully crafted by the Paolo Penko family under the visionary direction of costume designer Lisy Christl.
Each piece of jewelry was therefore made strictly by hand, following the features of the character's personality, using traditional but also innovative techniques, typical of Bottega Penko, such as lost-wax casting, fretwork, engraving and ‘penkato’ along with a careful historical and symbolic research.
Guests at Symposium 2026 were granted a rare privilege: to observe not only the front, but also, and perhaps more importantly, the reverse of such precious jewels! The side never captured on film, never shown to the public, revealed only through a silent, intimate dialogue between the jewel and the actor who wears it.. as a silent narrative tool.
Each artifact whispers a different facet of the Christian faith, reflecting the character to whom it belongs: an interpretation shaped through hand-carved iconography and symbolism, meticulously conceived and executed with the unmatched artistry of the Paolo Penko family.
A Touch of Silk.
The gems and precious metals were further enhanced by the exquisite, colourful silks by the Antico Setificio Fiorentino. A invaluable partner in this edition of Symposium, ever open to dialogue and collaboration among centres of Excellence, to whom I express my heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering trust.
The “Pax Tibi” Cross carries with it a story full of significance, deep and moving.
We chose it as the centrepiece of the exhibition and the unifying symbol of #Symposium2025. Displayed in a place of honour, it became a quiet yet powerful emblem of the event’s spirit. I wore one of the two copies created for Conclave with pride and honour; and so, in a way, did all our guests, each of whom received a small, precious replica in 925 silver, handcrafted by Paolo Penko and nestled within their paper invitation. These delicate crosses, worn as part of each ensemble, became both precious adornment and shared memento of the event.
Originally conceived for Cardinal Lawrence (masterfully portrayed by Ralph Fiennes), the 'Pax Tibi' cross was later replaced by a piece more aligned with the character’s evolution and inner journey, this makes it an unseen and unedited piece! Its design interlaces three olive branches, a plant steeped in spiritual resonance within the Christian faith: in the Old Testament, a dove carrying an olive branch announced to Noah that life had returned to the earth. In the New Testament, the olive tree evokes the Passion of Christ, recalling the Garden of Olives where He prayed before His arrest.
The cross bears eight olives..
the number of Resurrection. While seven marks the days of Creation, the eighth signifies fulfilment, eternity, and the redemption of humankind.
At its base, an engraving whispers a timeless Latin motto of goodwill, more poignant today than ever: PAX TIBI, Peace be with you.
An exceptional location:
Palazzo Rondinini
The venues where Symposium unfolds are never mere settings, yet places that play a key role in shaping each moment into an indelible memory, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Hidden gems, usually inaccessible, where guests savour the rare privilege of losing themselves.. unobserved, unhurried, free from constraint.
These are places where time stretches and softens, allowing space to connect and bond, yet equally to retreat into quiet contemplation, surrounded by the splendours of our shared past, entrusted to us by enlightened patrons who once dreamed beyond their age. These spaces hold a beauty both opulent and tender, grand yet profoundly human.
The Walls Speak to Those who Listen.
At Palazzo Rondinini we could still feel the pulse of the cherished home it once was. The Rondinini Marquis became a devoted patron of the finest applied arts of his time, transforming his residence into a living canvas for Roman Baroque artists and masters to fully express their craft!
Every surface speaks his vision: the floors inlaid with rare marbles, the frescoed vaults rich with family symbols and iconography, the micro-mosaics of impossible delicacy, the collection of Roman statues standing sentinel in quiet grace...
Lisy Christl is the creative force behind the entire costume collection for Conclave ~ a masterful work that earned her a second Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design in 2024.
And there she was, in the 'front row', having flown to Rome especially to be part of #Symposium2025. The journey she made, and the commitment it meant, spoke volumes about the sincerity of her mission and the depth of her support for projects and people who share her values and vision.
The light in her eyes and the genuine emotion she revealed while previewing the exhibition of “her” Cardinal jewelry collection, crafted by Paolo Penko, left no doubt as to what makes her truly “great”: not only her extraordinary professional sensitivity, but her profound understanding of the human ability to shape Beauty through daily acts of love and carry it into the future.
Thank you, Lisy, for your luminous presence, which meant the world to us, and for giving us reason to feel immense pride, and the quiet certainty that we are moving in the right direction.
The Most Unique Circle of Guests
Every year, for months, I devote myself entirely to bringing Symposium to life: a project into which I pour energy, work, investment and heart.
Its purpose is simple: to gather, under one roof, the closest partners, clients, friends, and all the irreplaceable members of a precious 'ecosystem' united by a shared devotion to Beauty and Excellence, to live a unique and memorable experience together.
Symposium is a space and time for genuine connection and international professional exchange, where deep conversations happen, while eyes are filled with wonder and glasses with fine wines.
Symposium is where kindred spirits meet; beautiful, rare souls from all over the world who recognise in one another a common vision, a shared purpose worth pursuing together, mutual understanding and support, each through their own profession, talent, and unique path. This is my own attempt to make a real and concrete impact: by cultivating fertile ground for synergies, exchange, and relationships between patrons of Beauty and makers of Excellence.
An ode to craftsmanship, and to the consistency of Beauty through detail.
I always invite Sympsium's guests to contribute to the harmouny of the occasion through a carefully curated dress code, that resonates with the theme and the extraordinary locations that host us.
I love to be creative and slightly unconventional at times, yet it is precisely in that playful tension that untold stories manifest through attire.
For special occasions such as Sympsium, I always choose locally made, tailored garments.. as I see what I wear as another piece in the mosaic of Excellence we come together to celebrate.
For this year’s edition, Sacrum et Lumen, I wore a cloud of pure white silk by the roman atelier Antonella Rossi, draped over a whisper of pearl-grey French Chantilly lamier lace sewn by Annagiulia Firenze. The immaculate white cape beautifully enhanced the precious "Pax Tibi" Cardinal cross, a unique jewel crafted by Paolo Penko and the emblem of #Symposium2025.
“Hold close those who bring
Beauty into the world.”
That Excellence is a family affair has always been one of the cornerstones of the extraordinary cultural phenomenon we call Made in Italy. Family as a symbol of resilience and growth, of unwavering commitment and bonds that time cannot break. It is this rare alchemy, of love and labour, of tradition and daring, that transforms enterprise into art, and hard work into a legacy.
And where blood ties end, another equally strong bond begins: one forged through shared values and purpose, bound not by lineage but by mutual trust and inspiration. Together, we celebrate every triumph, face every challenge, and weave our stories into one. For we recognise ourselves in one another, and through that recognition, we choose each other.
