Valentino: The Last Emperor

The Venice Film Festival was the site of the premiere of a new documentary about the life of fashion designer Valentino Garavani. Valentino retired last year but his designs are still going strong-and so is his influence. Rome, of course, hosted his retirement party last summer in full glory, with a retrospective of his designs in the Ara Pacis Museum (pictured) and a stunning party at the Villa Borghese. This fall, from September 3rd through September 10, Samsung is hosting a digital exhibition of Valentino's works during New York City's Fashion Week called "The Red Thread: The Inspiration and Passion of Valentino." There you can also see sneak preview footage of the new documentary, "Valentino: The Last Emperor."

The Ara Pacis

The emperor Augustus built the Ara Pacis (the Altar of Peace) in 9 BCE to commemorate his new era of peace after a century of civil wars in Rome. The altar is a masterpiece of classical sculpture, depicting various images of fertility, peace, Roman history and Republican values. The altar was recently installed a new museum designed by Richard Meier. Last summer, the Italian designer Valentino, who is preparing to retire, staged a retrospective exhibit of his designs in the museum. You can visit the museum and the altar, nestled between the Mausoleum of Augustus and the Tiber River, Tuesdays through Sundays 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.