Originally published on Getty News & Stories

For the well-to-do 20-something traveling across Europe in the 19th century, a trip to Rome wasn’t complete without a stop at the Castellani jewelry shop.

This was the place to buy the ultimate souvenir—the definitive proof of traveling to Europe, an endeavor mostly reserved for the wealthy. The trinket to show off back home was a piece of jewelry inspired by ancient Rome. A brooch that said “Roma” in delicate filigree, perhaps, or a set of glittering gold earrings. These pieces looked authentic enough to have been plucked straight off a member of the ancient Roman elite, though real antique jewelry was available too. The shop was a place to gather and be seen, and a guest book logged a visit the way a shared selfie might today.