This Restored Palazzo and Hotel in Milan Is a Destination in Its Own Right

“Here we are, madam!” my taxi driver exclaimed as we arrived at an impressive baroque facade at 11 Corso Venezia in Milan. I looked around for an entrance. “Many clients are being dropped off here now. Is it a hotel? Something else?” It’s a hotel, I replied, still unsure until he gestured toward the stone pathway leading to the city’s most celebrated new haven.

I had traveled from my home in Paris for a few days to check into the Portrait Milano, located in the heart of the fashion district—an ideal starting point to explore what I had heard was a revitalized spirit in Milan. While Italy’s second-largest city may not match the picturesque charm of Rome or Florence, its allure lies in the rich tapestry of architectural styles, artistic offerings, and hidden gems—the private galleries, shops, restaurants, offices, and entire neighborhoods that unfold behind ornate modernist facades.

The hotel and its adjacent piazza, revitalized and open to the public for the first time in two decades, stand as a prominent symbol of this energy, yet, true to Milanese elegance, it remains subtle. The hotel is housed in the second oldest archiepiscopal seminary in the world, which had been closed for over 30 years until Lungarno’s CEO, Valeriano Antonioli, discovered it in 2013, captivated by its charm. Leonardo Ferragamo, chairman of his family’s namesake fashion house and president of the Lungarno Collection of boutique hotels, began the restoration of this 16th-century landmark in 2018.

In December 2022, the newly renamed Palazzo del Quadrilatero opened to local acclaim with Milan’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, present, unveiling Lungarno’s latest accommodations, accompanied by a remarkable array of retail shops and dining options: the Milanese multibrand concept store Antonia; the new flagship of So-Le Studio, an accessories brand by Leonardo Ferragamo’s daughter, Maria Sole; and a location for the premium steakhouse chain Beef Bar in the former chapel of the seminary.

Although the Ferragamo fashion and hospitality brands function independently, the Lungarno Collection’s move into the heart of Milan’s fashion district is a natural progression for both brands' growth and ongoing significance. This opening follows the appointment of 27-year-old British Caribbean designer Maximilian Davis as creative director for the 95-year-old luxury label, based in Florence and Milan, to bring a fresh perspective.

“One of our main objectives is to establish Portrait Milano as a cultural hub,” Antonioli shared, referring to the diverse international events scheduled within the historic complex. Ferragamo showcased its Spring-Summer 2023 collection with a runway show in the piazza, while designer Gabriele Chiave's installation attracted crowds during this year’s Design Week. Portrait Milano and the Palazzo del Quadrilatero are part of a broader initiative to enhance the city's cultural significance, making it one of Europe’s most captivating destinations right now.

Why Milan is Among Europe’s Most Exciting Destinations

The early 20th-century Milanese author Carlo Emilio Gadda once dismissed Milan as an “ugly and disorganized city”—a sentiment echoed by many Italians. However, the city—Italy’s hub for business, design, and fashion—has made significant efforts to shed its image as a postwar industrial center. This transformation gained momentum when Milan hosted the 2015 World Expo, which sparked the restoration of historic sites, revitalization of canals, and development of new structures for vibrant cultural initiatives. The gamble paid off: that year, the city welcomed a record 20 million international visitors.

Since then, tourism in Milan has surged and continues to grow. The city’s economy expanded by 2.2 percent in 2022 and is projected to increase by 4.8 percent by the end of 2023. As a land of opportunity in Italy, Milan is now experiencing an influx of talent from the United Kingdom due to a post-Brexit brain drain, alongside a diverse array of young creatives and entrepreneurs receiving essential support from the city’s cultural ministry. This has led to a local real estate boom (which comes with its challenges, such as rising living costs) and a tourism sector that is nearly back to pre-COVID levels—last year, an astonishing 60 percent of visitors came for leisure rather than business, according to La Reppublica.

“Milan has always been a vibrant city, a crossroads of exchanges . . . the favored destination for many artists,” wrote Tommaso Sacchi, Milan’s councilor for culture and one of the youngest and most prominent figures in local politics, in one of his widely shared Instagram posts. Currently, he expresses his goal of establishing Milan as a “culturally polycentric city.” He is aiding in the development of the Museum of Digital Art, or Museo Arte Digitale (MAD), which aims to be a center for innovation and experimentation, along with the European Library of Information and Culture, designed to promote cross-cultural interaction and collaboration.

Caterina Monda, the Italian American cofounder of the art PR firm Metis, finds the current atmosphere in Milan exhilarating, characterized by greater inclusivity, youthful talent, and receptiveness to foreign ideas. “There’s a surge of BIPOC creativity gaining recognition right now, and the traditional Italian establishment, which has typically backed established names in art and design, is finally investing in it,” she noted. She highlighted Korean designer Jimin Lee of the upcycled luxury brand J.Cricket, whose showroom is located a few blocks from Portrait Milano; curator and art historian Mistura Allison, who is initiating a multidisciplinary artist residency called Birds of Passage; and British gallerist Matthew Noble, who focuses on emerging Italian and international contemporary artists at his gallery, ArtNoble.

All these initiatives reflect the same understated elegance that defines the city’s character. “Milanese people prefer to keep beauty to themselves,” Monda explained.

Portrait Milano: A Palazzo Transformed

One evening, while I sat in the hotel’s library lounge enjoying a cocktail, I was captivated by the steady stream of shoppers and intrigued passersby as they quietly wandered through the library. I lost track of how many times I heard a soft “così bellissimo!” The city’s well-dressed fashion and design crowd flowed in throughout the night to socialize with friends, as if it were their private salon.

This is intentional: Designed to resemble a private residence like the Lungarno Collection hotels in Florence and Rome, Portrait Milano is located in a striking architectural complex between Corso Venezia and Via Sant’Andrea. The building was commissioned in 1565 by Archbishop Carlo Borromeo of Milan, who later became Saint Charles. For five centuries, it served as a boarding school during Empress Maria Theresa of Austria's reign and later as a military hospital and prison under Napoleon, suffering severe damage during World War II. Although rationalist architect Piero Portaluppi restored it in 1967, it fell into disrepair; for about a decade in the 1980s, it functioned as the offices for architect Mario Bellini's atelier.

Following years of discussions with the Catholic Church, which will be the Lungarno Collection’s landlord for the next 30 years, Ferragamo and Antonioli received approval for what would become the group’s most ambitious project to date. Lungarno enlisted Milanese architect Michele De Lucchi to design a hotel featuring 73 rooms and suites, two on-site restaurants, and a complex of retail spaces. He also played a crucial role in restoring the building’s most magnificent elements, from the baroque portico to the expansive 32,000-square-foot piazza and the double colonnaded loggia that encircles it.

Similar to the restored architectural features that De Lucchi brought back to life, the interiors crafted by Michele Bönan, the Lungarno Collection’s preferred designer, pay homage to Milan’s heritage while highlighting Florentine craftsmanship. He drew inspiration from the glamour of the city’s 1950s salons, incorporating signature cardinal red and emerald accents, particularly in the guest rooms, which are furnished in a midcentury-modern style with black lacquer, bronze and leather door handles, and varnished wood and rattan paneling. Apart from the luxurious beauty products and prints of Salvatore Ferragamo’s patented shoe designs on the walls, branding is kept minimal. This sense of privacy is particularly pronounced in the 27 rooms situated within the enclosed loggia, which offers a sanctuary-like tranquility—a true embodiment of a city known for its discretion.

Three must-see attractions for your next visit to Milan

The Dimorecentrale is a recently established 7,500-square-foot gallery located in a former railway warehouse near the Milano Centrale train station. This venue serves as the headquarters for the design and architecture agency of the same name, which opened its doors in the summer of 2022 during the 60th Salone del Mobile. Here, you can explore 20th-century art and design pieces from renowned creators like Gabriella Crespi, Gio Ponti, and Jean Prouvé, along with immersive furniture installations featuring the agency's work showcased multiple times a year.

Housed in a beautifully restored palazzo on Corso Venezia, the Fondazione Luigi Rovati’s new museum presents a remarkable collection of archaeological and artistic treasures belonging to the foundation named after the late doctor and entrepreneur Luigi Rovati. The exhibits range from exquisite Etruscan ceramics, bronze, and gold artifacts to iconic artworks by Pablo Picasso, Arturo Martini, and Andy Warhol.

This very spot is where, in 1936, two pastry chefs launched the Milanese institution known as Sant Ambroeus, a pasticceria and confetteria that has gained fame for its locations in New York and Palm Beach, Florida. The original venue has reopened in Milan with a refreshed design, courtesy of Paris-based interior architect Fabrizio Casiraghi.