A WEEK IN ITALY

As part of my master’s program at the International University of Monaco, we recently went on a field trip to Italy. We started in Milan and then spent a few days in Fraciacorta, in the Italian countryside.

In full school trip manner, we got on a bus and drove from Monaco to Milan. Our pit-stop was in Serravalle, a famous Italian designer outlet, where we got lunch and did some shopping before continuing to Milan.

On of our days in Milan was focused on Armani. First, we got a store showing of “Armani Casa” the flagship store of Armani’s interior collection. I would’ve purchased half the store if I could, everything was so beautiful.

Straight after, we continued with “Armani Silos”, a museum dedicated to the art of fashion and Giorgio Armani’s incredible creations. Even without being particularly passionate about fashion history, this was definitely a highlight! The way he got inspired and the frequency at which he managed to create masterpiece after masterpiece stunned probably every person in the room.

The next day wa spent in the name of high-end jewelry. We visited the Buccellati showroom as well as a secret hidden office and factory of Pomellato. For safety reasons, we weren’t allowed to take photos for most of that day, so I don’t have a lot I can share here but rest assured, the creations of both brands were breathtaking. We all felt so privileged to have the opportunity to get these rare insights behind the scenes.

Our schedule was packed and the time in Milan was limited, to we used our only free afternoon for a quick trip to the city center to at least tick off some sights from our tourist checklist.

After a visit to the Duomo Milano and a quick stroll through the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for a lovely dinner at Ceresio 7, before continuing our trip to Franciacorta the next day.

Our hotel beautifully rested on top of the rolling hills of the Italian countryside. From there, we went out for the day, again with a filled but exciting schedule.

We started the day at the Porsche Experience Center, getting a tour of the entire facility, its training center, as well as its racing track.

After we finished the tour, it was time to race some laps ourselves. It was my first time doing a driving simulator and damn, it was harder than I thought! I really needed the (very stressful) practice lap to get the hang of it but after that, it was so much fun!

After having lunch at Porsche, we drove over to Ca’ del Bosco, one of the biggest vinyards of the region. Here again, we got a private tour of the facility. We learned a lot about the production process and of course finished the visit with a little tasting of the product we had just learned so much about. I don’t really drink a lot of alcohol but now I definitely have a new found appreciation for good wine!

After Porsche and Ca’ del Bosco the day still wasn’t over, we had one final stop on our list.
A real Italian jem, especially for boat lovers, is of course Riva.
We visited the facility where Riva boats are still built today, we learned about how the production process has changed throughout the years, and we saw some real icons on display. For example, the first and last Aquarama ever built are exhibited there, at their location right at the foot of the Lago d’Iseo.
We even took a look inside Carlo Riva’s office, that he had fully customized and that he loved so much that even after having sold the company, he still came back to this office every day to work on his new projects.

On our final day of the trip, we visitied Beretta. An Italian manufacturer of not only military firearms and sport rifles but also of high-end personal handguns, a company with a rich heritage.
I don’t think any of us were necessarily passionate about guns before but the few hours we spent at the Beretta estate, learning all about the product, made us realize that they are really creating something very special there.

The premium selection of their historic guns was impressive. Every single piece was, and still is today, fully hand-made, using only the finest of woods, every tiny piece of metal is carefully engraved, every finished product is a masterpiece in itself.
For their military weapons, Beretta heavily invested to build a fully automated factory, the first of its kind. For safety reasons, unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take any pictures there. It was astonishing to see such a big factory with only about 5-10 people working there, making sure all the machines were running smoothly. Again, a very interesting and memorable visit.

Eventually, we had to get back to Monaco. After getting home, I just slept for two days, recharging my batteries after a very busy week. We did so much in such a short time, we really made the most of our time in Italy.

This is definitely one of my longer blog posts although I really limited the content already.
I have shared way more of this week on my story, so if you are interested to see more, head over to my instagram and check out my story highlight Italy 2024!