Italy's oldest Apple store to close permanently, making way for stunning new flagship location

Apple Rome Source: Il Messaggaro

What you need to know

Italy's oldest Apple store is closing.
Apple RomaEst will shut it doors for the last time on October 17.
It's to make way for a stunning new marble flagship on the Via Del Corso.

Apple's RomaEst store, the oldest Apple store in Italy, will shut its doors for the last time on October 17 as Apple prepares to open a brand new flagship store in the heart of the capital.

As reported by 9to5Mac's Michael Steeber:

Apple RomaEst in Italy will permanently close on October 17 as Apple prepares to open a historic flagship store in the center of Rome. The plan to close Apple's oldest store in Italy was outlined in early January, but delays due to COVID-19 significantly impacted the progress of the project.

The webpage for Apple RomaEst was updated Friday morning to thank customers for more than 13 great years at Centro Commerciale RomaEst, a shopping center in Rome's suburb of Lunghezza. The store first opened in March 2007.

In January, the first official renders of Apple's brand new store in Rome were revealed. The new store will be located on the Via Del Corso in Palazzo Marignoli. The store was originally touted to open in the Spring of this year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The store has been in works since 2012, and staff from Apple's RomaEst store will move to the new location. Apple has also hired 120 new staff. On the move Apple's Senior VP of Retail and People, Deirdre O'Brien said:

"Our stores have proudly served customers in Rome for 13 years and we are excited that our long-term vision for Rome will come to life in Via del Corso this spring... With this important new store, we will move our talented teams and activities from Eastern Rome to the center of Rome, where we will significantly increase our service capacity and offer free and world-class "Today at Apple" sessions."

Source: Il Messaggero

The new store pays homage to Rome's tremendous classical heritage, with stunning marble lining the interior. Not the only classically-inspired store, Apple recently opened its new Marina Bay Sands store in Singapore. The 'floating' orb's design is inspired in part by the domed roof of Rome's Pantheon.