Roscioli Bakery in Rome Celebrates 50 Years with Art and Design

Rome's historic bakery Roscioli, founded by Marco Roscioli on February 26, 1972, marks its 50th anniversary in 2022. Located in via dei Chiavari near Campo de' Fiori, the bakery occupies a site with layered history—the ancient Theater of Pompey once stood here, and a papal edict in 1824 mandated a bread shop for the poor. Now run by sons Alessandro and Pierluigi, Roscioli has expanded to include a salumeria with restaurant (opened 1992), a pastry bar, and the wine bar "Rimessa" in via del Conservatorio. The bakery's interior was redesigned last summer by Florentine studio Q-bic, drawing on 1950s imagery. The Caffè Roscioli, opened in 2016 in piazza Cairoli, was designed by studio MORQ using natural materials and dark colors. Alessandro Roscioli, an avid contemporary art enthusiast, has integrated art into the restaurant and café spaces. His collection includes works by Kiki Smith, Piacentino, Giuseppe Stampone, Luigi Ontani, Gianni Politi, Alessandro Piangiamore, Adelita Husni-Bey, Mauro di Silvestre, Willy Roias, and Liu Bolin. Stampone also designed special panettone boxes for the bakery. Roscioli now collaborates with FOROF, a contemporary art space in Palazzo Roccagiovine ai Fori founded by Giovanna Caruso Fendi, where Maria Elena Roscioli manages the gastronomic offering, adapting it to the resident artist's performances and installations.