True to its Italian blood, Bonelli Erede Pappalardo has found itself an historic new home in London. The firm has just moved into a converted Christopher Wren church dating back to 1671.
St Olave's House on Ironmonger Lane has been through it a bit: it was partly demolished in 1892, then rebuilt and used as a rectory until the late 1980s, when Sullivan & Cromwell became its first lawyer tenants.
Bonelli has now ta-ken on the listed building and brought in its own architect, Monica Fanecco, to instil a bit of Italian style to the place. The dodgy wallpaper and paint has been stripped and Fanecco has used traditional Italian artisan techniques. She even flew over an Italian team to get the look just right.
Now the office is just waiting for its furniture to arrive from luxury Italian furniture designer Poltrona Frau. No detail has been missed. Rumour has it that a feng shui guru was even brought in to check for bad spirits, but gave the place the all-clear.
But if Bonelli's lawyers get freaked out when they work late, at least the local priest is never far away – he still has an apartment in the building.
