"I thought it was time to come back," the designer, who has not presented a show in Rome for 17 years, said at a news conference on Friday to kick off the three-day festivities.

Eager to reassert itself on the fashion map where it once dominated before losing its place to Milan, Rome has rushed to offer Valentino some of its landmark venues as the backdrop for his events.

With the help of funds donated by the designer, Rome restored the ancient Temple of Venus built by Emperor Hadrian, which hosts Friday's inaugural banquet with the added attraction of luminous columns designed by Dante Ferretti hoisted on top.

Bald mannequins draped with Valentino's trademark evening gowns lined Rome's Ara Pacis museum as part of an exhibit on the designer's works that opened on Friday with A-list stars such as Uma Thurman and Sarah Jessica Parker in attendance.