Anno I · N. 2Every Friday from MilanStudio Artiper

Ognissanti11/1All Saints’ Day falls on a Sunday. Monday 2 November is a working day. Japan is 8 hours ahead in winter time

Il Settimanale di Milano

The Milan Weekly

Euro / Yen175.86The euro down about 4% in three months (ECB, 28 October)

Milano, venerdì 30 ottobre 2026Friday 30 October 2026Covering 22–28 October

Lettera da Milano

Roast-chestnut smoke and foggy mornings

Letter from Milan Portrait illustration of Yasuo Asaki

Yasuo Asaki (Milan)

Chestnuts roasted in a perforated pan: caldarroste (illustrative image)Photo: Razzairpina / CC BY-SA 3.0

In the first week of winter time, Milan was already dark by 5 p.m. In exchange, the roast-chestnut stalls are back on the street corners. When the smoke and smell of chestnuts being tossed in a perforated iron pan drift by, Milanese say autumn has deepened.

Morning fog is another hallmark of Lombardy at this time of year. Drive out of the city and the whole plain sinks into white; on some days, on the road to the workshop towns, the tail lights of the car in front are all you have to go by. When it clears around midday, rows of poplars emerge yellow from behind the fog.

Sunday is All Saints’ Day. This year it falls on a Sunday, and the following Monday is a working day. It looks set to be a weekend of chrysanthemums at the florists and the smell of chestnuts.

From Milan, Yasuo Asaki

SommarioThis week

1Letter from MilanRoast-chestnut smoke and foggy mornings
1Numbers, exchange rate, trade fairsThe spread narrows to 115bp, Gucci down 6% in July–September, Japan–Italy trade still growing in September
2Seven Days in ItalyProducer prices +13.8%, Intesa's MPS takeover approved / next week's diary
3Security, protests and politicsMilan's protest on the 24th, the row over an activist's release, and the strike order for the 30th
4Milan around townThe New Year's Eve concert in Piazza del Duomo returns; a light exhibition at Malpensa
5Food and drinkAn Italian fair at AEON; interest-free loans for olive oil mills
6Architecture and designItalian Pavilion team chosen for the Biennale; the Colombo archive
7Salone & Design WeekThe Salone goes to Shanghai and Lagos; BASE open call
8Industry newsHermès leather goods +10.8%, Gucci −6%, the next stage of PFAS rules
9Tiles & Building MaterialsA separate ETS benchmark for tiles; short-time working at Panaria
10MaterialsTerrazzo or cement tiles for the floor; leather finishes
11CultureSan Carlo's day, Artemisia, Bausch's Rite of Spring
12Person of the Week · Masterpiece of the WeekMichelangelo and the ceiling, 514 years on / The first Compasso d’Oro: 'Lettera 22'
13Opera'Nessun dorma' with Pavarotti and Filippeschi / The night Turandot premiered
14Q&A · From ReadersAre scars and creases in leather defects?

In bocca al lupo!In bocca al lupoPhrase of the week: “good luck” or “break a leg”. More in the Culture section

Il cambioEuro / Yen

175.86 yen▼ about 4% (3 months)

31 July–28 October, ECB reference rates. A tailwind for those buying from Italy, a headwind for those selling to Italy. Source: ECB

FiereTrade fairs (Milan · Rho)

1/21–24	HOMI
2/2–4	Milano Unica	JETRO pavilion applications closed
2/21–23	MICAM／MIPEL
2/23–25	Lineapelle
4/13–18	Salone del MobileNew: Salone Contract

Held in 2027. Exhibitor and visitor deadlines not yet officially published. JETRO official site: as of 22 October, no pavilions taking applications for fairs in Italyjetro.go.jp

I numeriNumbers

One for the week−6%Gucci revenue (July–September)（July–September 2026）　1.29 billion euro (comparable basis). Kering said falling footfall hit Asia-Pacific, especially mainland China and JapanKering

Tassi, prezzi ed economia　Rates and prices6 items

Yasuo’s viewThe ECB keeps raising rates, and Italian inflation is back above 4%. Wholesale electricity is about double last year’s level, pushing up costs for makers.

ECB deposit rate

From 16 September 2026

2.50%

＝ Raised to 2.25% on 17 June and to 2.50% on 16 September

Main refinancing rate 2.65%, marginal lending rate 2.90%

ECB

BTP-Bund spread

Close, 28 October

114.8bp

▼ Close on 27 October: 113.8bp

Yield gap between Italian and German 10-year government bonds. Close on 23 October: 122bp

ANSA

Italian 10-year government bond yield

Close, 28 October

4.51%

▼ Close on 27 October: 4.49%

Close on 23 October: 4.56%

ANSA

Consumer prices (NIC)

September 2026, year on year (final)

+4.2%

▲ August +3.3%. Month on month +0.7%

Energy goods +22.6%. Core +1.6%. October flash estimate due on 30 October

ISTAT

Wholesale electricity price (PUN)

September 2026 monthly average

207.54€/MWh

＝ September last year 109.08 (about 1.9 times)

August 180.00. Third consecutive monthly rise from 157.04 in July

GME

Milan residential rents

September 2026

22.32€/m² per month

▼ −0.71% year on year (22.48 a year earlier)

Asking rents. City centre 31.11, cheapest zone 15.76. Sale prices 5,665 €/m² (+1.85%)

Immobiliare.it

Turismo　Tourism6 items

Yasuo’s viewJapanese spending is flat, yet Japanese visitors staying in Milan have grown about 1.6 times in two years. Growth at Linate, close to the city, also stands out.

Japanese travellers’ spending in Italy

2025 (calendar year)

726€m

▼ About −0.8% year on year (2024: about 732 million euros)

Arrivals about 797,000 (about +6.8% year on year). More visitors, but spending flat

Banca d'Italia international tourism survey

Japanese arrivals in the City of Milan (accommodation)

2025 (calendar year)

84,332people

▲ About +22.7% year on year (2024: 68,755)

Overnight stays 179,902. About 1.6 times the 53,210 of 2023, in two years

Comune di Milano open data

Foreign travellers’ spending in Italy

July 2026

8.3€bn

▲ +6.8% year on year

Tourism balance in surplus by 4.7 billion euros. On the May–July average, spending by non-EU visitors (+6.8%) outpaced EU visitors (+4.4%)

Banca d'Italia

Malpensa Airport passengers

January–August 2026

20.99m

▲ +0.4% year on year

August alone 3,285,351 (+2.1% year on year). Milan’s largest airport by passengers

Assaeroporti

Linate Airport passengers

January–August 2026

7.96m

▲ +9.1% year on year

August alone 1,005,185 (+5.1% year on year). The airport close to the city shows strong growth

Assaeroporti

Overnight stays in Italy

April–June 2026

148m nights

▲ +3.9% year on year (foreigners +4.6%, Italians +2.7%)

Arrivals about 47 million, −0.8%. Foreigners account for 61.6% of stays. July–September due on 23 November

ISTAT

Consumi e commercio　Consumption and retail3 items

Yasuo’s viewTotal retail edged up, but footwear and leather goods fell −4.1%. Italy’s domestic market has not yet recovered.

Retail sales (total, value)

August 2026

+0.5%

▼ Year on year (volume −1.0%)

Month on month: value +0.3%, volume +0.1%. Two months of decline come to a halt

ISTAT

Retail sales of footwear, leather goods and travel items

August 2026

−4.1%

＝ Year on year, value

The largest fall among non-food categories (the largest rise: IT and telecoms equipment, +6.7%)

ISTAT

ICC clothing and footwear

September 2026

+0.4%

▼ Year on year, volume (August −2.7%)

A slight recovery, but the long slump is not over

Confcommercio

Commercio estero　Trade (overall)3 items

Yasuo’s viewYen-denominated figures include the effect of the weak yen. The pattern is unchanged: Japan buys from Italy about 2.9 times what it sells.

Imports from Italy (September)

September 2026 (second preliminary)

190.6¥bn

▲ +13.0% year on year

August 189.2 billion yen, +40.1% year on year. Note that figures are in yen, so the weak yen inflates the amounts.

Ministry of Finance trade statistics

Exports to Italy (September)

September 2026 (second preliminary)

66.8¥bn

▲ +11.0% year on year

August 56.4 billion yen, +16.3% year on year (preliminary).

Ministry of Finance trade statistics

Trade balance with Italy (September)

September 2026 (second preliminary)

−123.7¥bn

＝ Deficit +14.0% year on year

Imports are about 2.9 times exports. Japan’s deficit widened by 14.0% on a year earlier.

Ministry of Finance trade statistics

Export · Moda　Exports to Japan: fashion5 items

Yasuo’s viewBags, clothing and leather shoes to Japan are all below last year. We have entered a period in which products are chosen on unit value rather than volume.

Exports of bags and wallets to Japan

January–August 2026

491€m

▼ −6.9% year on year (our calculation)

HS4202 (any material). Same period last year: 528 million

Eurostat Comext

Exports of leather goods (bags, shoes, etc.) to Japan

January–August 2026

642€m

▼ −7.4% year on year

ATECO15 (leather goods and footwear). August alone −9.2%

ISTAT

Exports of clothing to Japan

January–August 2026

618€m

▼ −5.6% year on year

Including leather clothing and fur. August alone +4.0%

ISTAT

Exports of leather shoes to Japan

January–August 2026

103€m

▼ −4.8% year on year (our calculation)

HS6403 (shoes with leather uppers). Same period last year: 108 million

Eurostat Comext

Exports of textiles, clothing and leather to Japan

January–August 2026

1.33€bn

▼ −6.7% year on year

August alone 147 million (−3.0%). 23.8% of all exports to Japan

ISTAT

Moda e lusso　Brands (January–September)6 items

Yasuo’s viewPrada and Cucinelli grew by double digits, while Ferragamo slowed in Japan. Even among Italian brands, fortunes diverged.

Prada Group revenue

January–September 2026

4.54€bn

▲ +15% year on year (constant exchange rates); +4% organic excluding Versace. July–September +11% (organic +1%)

Retail in Japan +5% over nine months (organic +2%), flat in July–September. Versace contributed 441 million euros

Prada Group IR

Brunello Cucinelli revenue

January–September 2026

1.12€bn

▲ +13.3% year on year (constant exchange rates), +10.2% reported. July–September 374.2 million euros, +13.5% (constant exchange rates)

Asia 311.4 million euros, +14% (constant exchange rates). Japan and Korea solid, driven mainly by local customers. Full-year guidance raised to +12%

Brunello Cucinelli IR

Moncler Group revenue

January–September 2026

1.9€bn

▲ +6% year on year (constant exchange rates), +3% reported. July–September 605.5 million euros, flat (constant exchange rates)

Moncler Asia (including Japan and Korea) +15% over nine months, +5% in July–September. EMEA −8% in July–September on fewer tourists

Moncler

Ferragamo revenue

January–September 2026

675€m

▼ Flat year on year (constant exchange rates), −2.8% reported. July–September 207 million euros, −3.5% (constant exchange rates)

Japan −2.2% over nine months and −5.0% in July–September (both at constant exchange rates). Hit by the scaling back of wholesale

Salvatore Ferragamo

LVMH Fashion & Leather Goods revenue

January–September 2026

26.4€bn

▼ −4% year on year (reported), −2% (organic). July–September organic −5%

Hit by the slowdown in China. At group level, the US, Europe and Japan were described as strong in July–September (no Japan figure by division)

LVMH

Kering revenue

January–September 2026

10.57€bn

＝ Flat year on year (comparable basis), −2% reported. July–September 3,345 million euros, −1% (comparable basis)

Gucci July–September 1,291 million euros, −6% (comparable basis). Kering cited lower store traffic in Asia-Pacific, especially mainland China and Japan

Kering

Export · Casa e materiali　Exports to Japan: interiors and materials3 items

Yasuo’s viewFurniture fell sharply (−15.7%), while tiles and finished leather edged up. For Japan, this is a year when materials are outperforming finished goods.

Exports of furniture to Japan

January–August 2026

57.9€m

▼ −15.7% year on year

ATECO31. August alone −3.0%

ISTAT

Exports of ceramic tiles to Japan

January–August 2026

31.4€m

▲ +4.3% year on year (our calculation)

HS6907. Same period last year: 30.1 million

Eurostat Comext

Exports of finished leather (material) to Japan

January–August 2026

13.7€m

▲ +1.2% year on year (our calculation)

HS4107 (finished leather from cattle, horses, etc.). Same period last year: 13.5 million

Eurostat Comext

Export · Food & Beverage　Exports to Japan: Food & Beverage3 items

Yasuo’s viewCheese +14.9%, olive oil −23.5%. On Japanese tables, too, the picture differs sharply from product to product.

Wine exports to Japan

January–August 2026

121€m

▼ −1.2% year on year (our calculation)

HS 2204 (including sparkling). 122.3 million in the same period last year

Eurostat Comext

Cheese exports to Japan

January–August 2026

82.4€m

▲ +14.9% year on year (our calculation)

HS 0406. 71.8 million in the same period last year

Eurostat Comext

Olive oil exports to Japan

January–August 2026

59.2€m

▼ −23.5% year on year (our calculation)

HS 1509. 77.3 million in the same period last year. Effect of falling prices not confirmed

Eurostat Comext

Mercati e settori　Industry figures (this week: leather, bags & footwear / furniture & interiors)6 items

Yasuo’s viewLeather goods exports fell 11% by weight, yet unit value rose 8.7%. The trend of making less and selling it for more shows in furniture exports too.

Leather, bags & footwear

Leather goods and bag exports

January–May 2026

3.9€bn

▼ −3.4% year on year (weight −11.1%)

Average unit value 161.33 euro/kg (+8.7%). Middle East −48%, EU +1.9%

Assopellettieri

Leather, bags & footwear

Tanned leather (tanneries) production value

2025

−6% (year on year, value)

▼ Volume −4%

The original reads 'quasi il 6%' (a fall of just under 6%). The industry is worth about 4 billion euro

UNIC

Leather, bags & footwear

Footwear exports

January–May 2026

4.8€bn

▼ −2.4% year on year (volume −5.8%)

Trade surplus 2.16 billion (+9.6%). Turnover −2.3%, employees −3,065

Assocalzaturifici

Furniture & interiors

Wood and furniture industry exports

January–June 2026

9.2€bn

▼ −4.5% year on year

June alone −1.4% (May −10.1%). The US slipped from second to third place

FederlegnoArredo

Furniture & interiors

Wood and furniture industry turnover

2025 (estimate)

52.2€bn

▲ +1.3% year on year

Domestic 32.9 billion (+1.8%). Furniture sector (Macrosistema arredamento) 27.7 billion (+0.6%)

FederlegnoArredo

Furniture & interiors

Wood and furniture industry exports (annual)

2025 (estimate)

19.3€bn

▲ +0.4% year on year

37% of total turnover. Kitchen furniture exports −5%

FederlegnoArredo

Energia e costi　Energy & Costs6 items

Yasuo’s viewFrom October the regulated electricity tariff is up 37%, and gas is more than double last year's level. Wage growth is nowhere near keeping pace.

Electricity (ARERA, standard rate for vulnerable households)

October–December 2026 quarter

43.43cents/kWh

▲ +37.3% on the previous quarter

Including tax. Annual spend €665.38 (calendar year 2026, +9.3% year on year). Regulated tariff for vulnerable households

ARERA

Gas commodity price (ARERA, PSV-linked)

September 2026

78.80€/MWh

＝ 64.15 in August, 34.89 in September last year (about 2.3 times)

€0.843/Smc. Set by the monthly average of the wholesale PSV day-ahead price. Standard household spend +12.7% on the previous month

ARERA

Petrol (national weekly average)

Week of 26 October 2026

2.006€/L

＝ €1.683/L a year ago (27 October 2025)

About €2.01 per litre. €2.016/L the previous week

MASE

Diesel (national weekly average)

Week of 26 October 2026

2.247€/L

＝ €1.609/L a year ago (27 October 2025)

About €2.25 per litre. €2.244/L the previous week. Dearer than petrol

MASE

Contractual wages (textiles, clothing, leather)

June 2026, year on year

+2.9%

▲ +2.9% in each of April–June

Hourly contractual wages under the 'Tessili, abbigliamento e lavorazione pelli' agreement

ISTAT

Contractual wages (hourly, all sectors)

June 2026, year on year

+2.4%

▲ January–June average +2.6%

Private sector +2.4% (industry +2.7%). In April–June, wages fell behind inflation for the first time in 10 quarters. July–September data due on 30 October

ISTAT

Exports to Japan by sector (Italy → Japan)January–August, year on year　Total −0.8%　ISTAT (in euro)

Exports to Italy by sector (Japan → Italy)January–August, year on year　Total +15.2%　Ministry of Finance (in yen)

Both charts use the same scale. Leather goods include footwear. About half of food, beverages and tobacco is tobacco. Exports to Italy are compiled from Ministry of Finance data by HS chapter: foodstuffs = chapters 1–24, optical and precision instruments = 90, iron and steel = 72–73, general machinery = 84, electrical equipment = 85. Over the same period, Japanese statistics (in yen) show bag imports from Italy up 1.5%. Differences in currency and recording methods can make the trend appear to run in opposite directions. Yen–euro conversions use ECB period averages (January–August 184.56 yen, January–September 184.04 yen, August 184.10 yen, September 180.04 yen). ISTAT

Sette giorniSeven Days in Italy↑ Contentspagina 2

Seven Days in Italy22–28 October

22OTTISTAT reports 426,956 residence permits issued in 2025, up 47.2% on the previous year. Family reunification and study grew strongly.ISTAT

26OTTArtemisia Gentileschi's Annunciation travels from the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples to the Museo Diocesano in Milan, on show until 31 January next year.ANSA

27OTTThe European Central Bank approves Intesa Sanpaolo's acquisition of control of Monte dei Paschi (MPS). All the necessary authorisations were in place on the 28th.ANSA

27OTTThe Lombardy Regional Council passes a regional law on the ethical use of AI, setting up a three-year plan and a scientific committee.ANSA

27OTTTaxi unions and associations call a full-day national strike for 15 December.ANSA

27OTTThe 2027 budget is set to include a reduced tax rate for young people. The size of the income tax (Irpef) cut is still being worked out; the bill goes to Parliament after the Cabinet meeting on the 29th.ANSA

28OTTISTAT: industrial producer prices in September rose 13.8% year on year (+2.9% month on month). Electricity and gas supply for the domestic market was up 35.9%.ISTAT

28OTTOil prices stay high: WTI at $101.58 a barrel and North Sea Brent at $115.81 (December delivery).ANSA

28OTTStellantis: July–September revenue of €37.6 billion, up 1% year on year. Net loss of €500 million, 90% smaller than a year earlier.ANSA

28OTTUniCredit chairman Padoan says he will step down when his term ends. No successor has been named.ANSA

28OTTStudents occupy a lecture hall at the University of Milan (Statale), protesting against the shortage of student housing and teaching staff.ANSA

28OTTMilan prosecutors close an investigation into 10 people suspected of surveilling and threatening Chinese dissidents living in Milan, and move towards indictment.ANSA

28OTTSerie A: Inter beat Venezia 2-0 to draw level with Lazio at the top. Milan lose 2-4 at home to Bologna, their first defeat of the season.ANSA

AgendaNext week's diary and strikes

Friday 30 OctoberNational general strike by USB. The transport sector has been ordered by the Transport Minister to postpone, but USB says it will go ahead. Trenord and ATM are expected to run normally. In Milan, a rally from 10:00 in front of Centrale station (Piazza Duca d'Aosta). Check with Trenord and ATM on the morning
Saturday 31 October20:45　Milan derby (Milan v Inter, San Siro)
Sunday 1 NovemberAll Saints' Day. Italy has no substitute holiday, so Monday 2 November is a normal working day
3–8 November　EICMA (motorcycle trade fair, Rho). Open to the public 5–8 November
Wednesday 4 NovemberNational Unity and Armed Forces Day. Not a public holiday; a normal working day
Thursday 5 NovemberFree entry to the Museo Diocesano in Milan (Gentileschi's Annunciation on show)
7–21 November　Pina Bausch's The Rite of Spring at La Scala, danced by the La Scala Ballet for the first time
Friday 13 NovemberA 24-hour ATM strike (AL-COBAS) has been notified to the Ministry of Transport

Sources: Ministry of Transport strike calendar (updated 29 October), Il Giorno (28 October), inter.it, EICMA coverage, ANSA

Yasuo’s viewProducer prices are up 13.8% year on year, and oil stays high. This is the backdrop to the price increases Italian factories are announcing.

Cronaca e sicurezzaSecurity, protests and politics↑ Contentspagina 3

A Saturday of protest, and a row over a release and a strike orderIl Giorno, ANSA, Adnkronos and others

Only the facts relevant to business trips and stays are gathered here. No judgement is made on who is right. Figures vary between reports, so sources are given.

Police vehicles parked in Piazza del Duomo (illustrative image, 2018)Photo: Ardfern / CC BY-SA 4.0

Security

Around 10,000 marched in Milan on Saturday 24th. The centre was cordoned off, but there were no major clashes

The protest against the rising cost of living set off from two points in the city and merged, reaching around 10,000 people. About 1,400 police and soldiers (including 500 paratroopers) were deployed, and the streets to Piazza del Duomo were closed. The march ended in front of the Politecnico. According to police figures as reported, 2,885 people had their identity checked, 167 were taken to police stations (56 of them minors) and 3 were arrested (Il Giorno, notizie.it). Some shops, including La Rinascente (Duomo), closed early.Il Giorno／notizie.it 10/24〜25

Milan's courthouse (Palazzo di Giustizia)Photo: Paolobon140 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Politics

A judge refuses to detain the administrator of a social media account that called for protests and releases him. The Prime Minister and the judges' association trade words

Youssef Chiheb (30), said to be the administrator of the social media account "Movimento 17 ottobre", was detained on the 24th. Prosecutors sought custody on suspicion of incitement for terrorist purposes, among other charges, but the Milan preliminary investigations judge refused and released him (the investigation continues). The charges concern online posts, not the weekend unrest itself (Il Post). Prime Minister Meloni called it "a shameful decision" and "an intolerable insult to the work of the security forces"; the National Association of Magistrates (ANM) spoke of "a vulgar attack on a judge" and "intimidation that has no place in a state governed by the rule of law".ANSA／Adnkronos／Il Post 10/24〜28

Palazzo Marino, Milan's city hallPhoto: Giovanni Dall'Orto / CC BY-SA 2.5 it

Politics

Extra troops will stay "as long as needed", says the Deputy Prime Minister; the mayor says some protests "reflect real unease"

Speaking in Piazza del Duomo on the 26th, Deputy Prime Minister Tajani said the additional 500 soldiers would "stay in Milan as long as needed to protect security, commerce and free movement". The same day, Mayor Sala told the City Council that "alongside the unrest, there are protests that express real unease and hardship", describing the 24th's march as large and peaceful. Mayors of major cities have asked to meet the Prime Minister.ANSA 10/26

The Ministry of Transport at Porta Pia, RomePhoto: Carlo Dani / CC BY-SA 4.0

Transport

Friday 30th's general strike: the Transport Minister orders the transport sector to postpone. USB says it "will not comply"

On the evening of the 27th, the Ministry of Transport ordered a postponement in aviation, rail, local transport, taxis, shipping and other sectors, as the date falls within the strike-free period around the Day of the Dead (2 November). The order had been requested by the strike guarantee commission, citing "a risk of serious harm to freedom of movement". USB called it "a wrong and unlawful order, which we will not obey" and announced it would hold the full-day strike anyway, accepting the sanctions.ANSA／Il Fatto Quotidiano 10/27〜28

Porta Venezia metro station (illustrative image)Photo: Arbalete / CC BY-SA 3.0

Travel note

On the 30th in Milan, Trenord and the metro are expected to run normally. Rally in front of Centrale station from 10:00

According to Il Giorno (28th), Trenord is expected to run its normal timetable. ATM's metro, trams and buses are also covered by the postponement order and should run as usual. However, USB says rail members will also strike, so some cancellations are possible. In Milan, a rally is planned from 10:00 in Piazza Duca d'Aosta (in front of Centrale station).Il Giorno／Il Cittadino di Monza e Brianza 10/28

The A2 motorway through Calabria (illustrative image)Photo: Salvatore Migliari / CC BY 3.0

Logistics

Lorry blockades in the south lifted on the 23rd. Logistics will take 3–7 days to return to normal

On the 22nd the government approved an emergency decree including support for haulage, agriculture and fishing (€175 million in total), and lorries started moving again on the 23rd. Luzzetti, from the distribution sector, said "we are at 70% capacity, and it will take 3–7 days to return to normal". Losses, mainly on fresh produce, run to "millions of euros". Food shipped from the south may still be delayed until early next week.Sky TG24 10/24

Yasuo’s viewIn Milan, protests and strikes are announced in advance. Check the transport strike calendar before you fix the dates of a business trip.

Cronaca di MilanoMilan around town↑ Contentspagina 4

From averted strikes to New Year's Eve in Piazza del DuomoMilanoToday, Il Giorno, Urbanfile and others

Small happenings that got Milan talking this week, chosen as places to drop by between meetings or as conversation starters.

Fiera Milano, RhoPhoto: Goldmund100 at Italian Wiki… / CC BY-SA 3.0

Transport

Security zones around Fiera Milano Rho during EICMA

EICMA, the motorcycle trade fair, runs 3–8 November. The provincial security committee has decided to designate three areas around the venue as enhanced security zones. If you have meetings towards Rho over the same period, allow extra travel time.MilanoToday 10/28

Malpensa Airport Terminal 1 (illustrative image)Photo: Ardfern / CC BY-SA 4.0

Culture

A rock light exhibition at Malpensa Airport T1 (free)

Opened on 23 October at "Porta di Milano" in Terminal 1. Seven bands, including The Beatles and Queen, are shown in backlit works 2 m high by 3 m wide. Something for the wait before boarding.MilanoToday 10/23

Around Piazza del Duomo at the end of the year (illustrative image)Photo: Marco Assini / CC BY-SA 2.0

Season

The New Year's Eve concert in Piazza del Duomo returns

Mayor Sala has stated clearly that "this year it will happen". Last year it was cancelled because the square was taken up by Winter Olympics installations. At the Prefect's request, the plan is for an "open but controlled square".MilanoToday 10/26

The Museo del Novecento today (Arengario)Photo: Zairon / CC BY-SA 4.0

Snippet

A large crane in Piazza del Duomo: the Museo del Novecento is expanding

A large crane has gone up for the works turning the "second Arengario" opposite into a new exhibition building. Besides galleries, the plan includes an auditorium, a bookshop and a café.Urbanfile 10/26

M6Pink line consultation

Transport

Metro M6 (pink line): the first public consultation

The city held a consultation on 24 October. Around 70 route options have been narrowed down to six; the frontrunner appears to be a ring line linking outer districts without passing through the centre.Urbanfile 10/28

An ATM electric bus in service today (illustrative image)Photo: Moliva / CC BY-SA 4.0

Transport

ATM orders 110 electric buses

The contract is worth over €76 million. The vehicles have a range of 600 km and cameras in place of side mirrors. The first is due in service by the end of 2027. Exactly half of Milan's city buses are already electric.MilanoToday 10/28

Niguarda HospitalPhoto: Yorick39 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Snippet

Niguarda Hospital delivers urgent medicines and samples by drone

A trial born of its experience as a designated Winter Olympics hospital, and a first for a public hospital. When a ward places a request, a pilot in the control room flies the drone remotely and delivers within minutes.Il Giorno 10/28

A producer's cheese stand (illustrative image)Photo: Prof.lumacorno / CC BY-SA 4.0

Food

Golosaria food fair, 31 October–2 November

The 21st edition of the event bringing together artisan food and wine, now moving to Hall 8 at Fiera Milano Rho. You can buy direct from producers, so it is good for finding gifts too.Il Giorno 10/13

Yasuo’s viewThe New Year’s Eve concert back in Piazza del Duomo, the first public meeting on the M6 metro, 110 electric buses: in Milan, celebrations and city-building move together.

Speciale · Cibo e bevandeFood and drink↑ Contentspagina 5

AEON Mall Kushiro Showa (illustrative image)Photo: Animataru / CC BY-SA 4.0

ITALIAOGGI ｜ 10/28

AEON holds an "Italian Fair" in 3,700 stores nationwide, 30 October–3 November

Supported by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE). Alongside chocolate, gelato, cheese, ready-made risotto and pasta, wine and balsamic vinegar, there will be cutlery and autumn–winter clothing. Italian food exports to Japan in 2025 were €1.9 billion, up 14% year on year, accounting for 24% of all Italian exports to Japan.

Yasuo’s viewWhen a Japanese supermarket chain builds a whole aisle around Italy alone, it shows Italian products being chosen well beyond specialist shops. I'm also watching the autumn-winter clothing on sale alongside the food.

The article explains that the Japan–EU Economic Partnership Agreement, in force since 2019, removed tariffs on wine, cheese and meat, so imports once aimed mainly at Italian restaurants have spread to supermarket shelves.

ItaliaOggi

Freshly pressed oil at a mill (Tuscany, illustrative image)Photo: PROPOLI87 / CC BY-SA 4.0

ANSA ｜ 10/28

With olive oil stocks rising, €40 million in interest-free loans for mills

ISMEA (the Institute of Services for the Agricultural Food Market) has approved a new scheme. Loans of up to €50,000 for farm mills and up to €300,000 for agro-industrial mills, over 5 years (including a 2-year grace period). Eligible are mills whose extra virgin oil stocks on 30 June 2026 were at least 25% higher than on the same date a year earlier. Applications from 12:00 on 5 November to 12:00 on 20 November.

A support measure following the fall in origin prices and the build-up of stocks reported in our last issue.

ANSA

A machine weighing and packing dry pasta (illustrative image)Photo: Talia Makina ve Gıda Sanayi… / CC BY-SA 4.0

ANSA ｜ 10/27

Food machinery fair Cibus Tec: a record 1,300 exhibitors

Held 27–30 October at Fiere di Parma, with exhibitors from over 35 countries, around 30% of them from abroad. Over 450 new products, and more than 40,000 trade visitors are expected. There is also a special area for beverage, bakery and winemaking technology.

ANSA

The venue, Pier 36 (New York, 2021)Photo: Jim.henderson / CC BY 4.0

ANSA ｜ 10/28

Wine fair Vinitaly.USA draws 3,000 to its first New York edition

300 Italian wineries showed 2,500 labels. Over 3,000 trade visitors attended, 36% more than the previous edition (Chicago), from 20 US states and 40 countries. More than 1,690 business meetings took place.

Figures from the organisers. The ICE president said "after the tariffs, the market is looking for a new shape".

ANSA

Piazza Michele Ferrero in Alba (illustrative image)Photo: Avisadehh / CC0

ANSA ｜ 10/27

Ferrero turns 80, with sales of around €25 billion

The confectioner, founded in a workshop in Alba in 1946, presented its future strategy in Milan. Consolidated revenue for the year to August 2025 was €22.3 billion; including acquisitions completed after the year end, such as WK Kellogg, it is expected to reach around €25 billion. It sells in over 170 countries and employs more than 60,000 people.

Its head of Italy said "this year we kept price increases small and gained 0.5 points of market share over last winter".

ANSA

Yasuo’s viewAEON in Japan holds an Italy fair while Italy sits on surplus olive oil. Knowing both sides – the maker’s and the seller’s – is useful in any negotiation.

Progetti e designerArchitecture and design↑ Contentspagina 6

The Italian Pavilion at the Arsenale, Venice (2013)Photo: Marinalesandro / CC BY-SA 3.0

FUORISALONE.IT ｜ 10/28

Italian Pavilion at the 2027 Venice Architecture Biennale goes to a joint proposal by (AB)NORMAL and APRIL

The Culture Minister chose "TEMPORANEA" by the two practices, which envisages an exhibition like moving stage machinery. The Biennale itself runs 8 May–21 November 2027, curated by Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu.

Fuorisalone.it

The former school on Bowling Green Lane (London, 2019)Photo: Chris Wood / CC BY-SA 4.0

DESIGNBOOM · DEZEEN ｜ Opens 3 Nov

Zaha Hadid Foundation turns its former London office into a public venue, opening 3 November

Studio KA has renovated the Victorian former school in Clerkenwell where Hadid had her office for more than 30 years. The first exhibition, “Zaha Hadid: Architecture of Performance”, brings together her stage design work.

designboom · Dezeen — Articles dated 8 Oct (before the period); opening on 3 Nov

Lake Orta seen from Pella, Fantini’s home base (illustrative image)Photo: Mastrocom / CC BY-SA 4.0

INTERNI ｜ 10/28

Fantini’s coloured tap “I Balocchi” turns 50

Launched in 1976, it is said to be the first coloured tap. It was designed by Davide Mercatali and Paolo Pedrizzetti. For the 50th anniversary, biscuit and chocolate versions are being prototyped, and custom orders are available in every RAL colour.

Interni

Interior of the Remo Brindisi house by Vigo (Lido di Spina)Photo: Nicola Quirico / CC BY-SA 4.0

FUORISALONE.IT ｜ 10/26

Nanda Vigo’s interior work collected in one book

Birkhäuser has published a book focused solely on the interiors of the artist (1936–2020) who helped lead the Milanese avant-garde of the 1960s. It runs to 496 pages and is edited by Silvia Groaz. Drawings and photographs trace work such as the interior of a house designed by Gio Ponti (Malo) and the “Casa Blu” in Milan’s San Siro.

Fuorisalone.it

A Cinelli bicycle (illustrative image)Photo: MikaPr65 / CC BY-SA 4.0

FUORISALONE.IT · WALLPAPER ｜ 20 Oct

A century of bicycles and tubular steel furniture: “Colombo's Archive” opens in Milan

Antonio Colombo has gathered the records of his family’s companies in the building in the south-east of the city (via dei Pestagalli) where he started his bicycle company in 1977. The 500 m² space displays 1930s tubular steel chairs, record-setting bicycles and prototypes made with Mendini and others. Visits are by appointment.

Yasuo’s viewBicycles and tubular-steel furniture born from the work of one family: that is very Milanese making. It's a place I'd like to book a visit to.

Fuorisalone.it · Wallpaper — Opened on 20 Oct (before the period)

Yasuo’s viewA 50-year-old tap, a century of tubular steel furniture. Italian design keeps creating new value by documenting its past.

Salone · Milano Design WeekSalone & Design Week↑ Contentspagina 7

West Bund Museum in Shanghai’s West Bund (illustrative image)Photo: Lcsun / CC BY-SA 4.0

SALONE DEL MOBILE ｜ 10/21

The Salone begins a world tour for its contract division in Shanghai

An event to gather the views of developers and designers ahead of “Salone Contract”, which starts in April 2027. The first edition discussed Hongkong Land’s large “Westbund Central” development (about $8 billion). According to a Salone and PwC study, China accounts for about 72% (€20–25 billion) of the potential size of the Asia-Pacific contract market.

Salone del Mobile.Milano — Announced on 21 Oct (the day before the period)

The National Theatre in Lagos (2023)Photo: Juganutt / CC BY-SA 4.0

SALONE DEL MOBILE ｜ 10/26

The Salone goes to Nigeria for the first time, joining Lagos Design Week

On 21–22 October, Marco Sabetta (General Manager) and Marva Griffin of SaloneSatellite met local architects and developers. Griffin was also honoured at the “IDEA Honours”. Italian furniture exports to Nigeria reached €41.6 million in 2025 (+27%), making it the fourth-largest market in Africa.

Salone del Mobile.Milano · BellaNaija

BASE Milano (the former Ansaldo factory, Tortona district)Photo: FrussiWMI / CC BY-SA 4.0

FUORISALONE.IT ｜ 10/22

BASE Milano’s open call for Design Week 2027 takes the theme “Daydreaming”

BASE, a cultural venue in the Tortona district, is seeking participants for its annual programme “We Will Design”. The question it poses: “Who can afford to dream?” The deadline is 18 December 2026. The Salone itself runs from 13 to 18 April 2027.

Fuorisalone.it

Morrison's early 'Ply-Chair' (1988, illustrative image)Photo: Sailko / CC BY 3.0

MARUNI ｜ 10/27

Hiroshima-based Maruni’s “T&O” turns 10

A series of chairs and stools designed by Jasper Morrison in 2016. The chair joins a carved solid-wood seat and back with S-shaped bent, painted spring steel. The chair and table were presented at the 2017 Salone, and the range now has 16 items.

Yasuo’s viewA case of Japanese woodworking teaming up with a designer from abroad and reaching the world from the Salone. What strikes me is the staying power: ten years, grown to 16 items.

Maruni · Dezeen — 10th anniversary per Maruni’s newsletter (27 Oct)

Yasuo’s viewThe Salone is heading to Shanghai and to Lagos. A fair born in Milan now travels the world.

Economia e IndustriaIndustry news↑ Contentspagina 8

The Hermès flagship on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, ParisPhoto: Polymagou / CC BY-SA 4.0

Moda e pelletteria — HERMÈS release ｜ 22 Oct

Hermès Q3: leather goods up 10.8%, overall growth slows to 4.3%

Revenue was €4,096 million (+4.3% at constant exchange rates, against +6.1% in the first half). Leather goods and saddlery, including bags, grew 10.8% to €1,912 million, while ready-to-wear and accessories fell 2%. The company cited weak demand in China.

Yasuo’s viewEven as the whole slows, leather bags alone keep growing. It was a quarter in which luxury demand converged on “leather classics”.

La Conceria · Idéal Investisseur

Via Montenapoleone, Milan (illustrative image)Photo: Dimitris Kamaras / CC BY 2.0

Moda e pelletteria — KERING release ｜ 22 Oct

Kering Q3: Gucci down 6% on a comparable basis

Group revenue was €3,345 million (−1% on a comparable basis). Gucci posted €1,290 million: directly operated stores were weak at −9%, while wholesale rose 45% as it rebounded from last year’s slump. Bottega Veneta grew by a high single digit.

Even within the same group, fortunes differ by brand.

La Conceria · FashionUnited

Prada in the Galleria, MilanPhoto: (Per Andersson) / CC BY-SA 3.0

Moda e pelletteria　LA CONCERIA ｜ 10/22

Prada Group up 4% in January–September; Miu Miu’s growth stalls

Revenue was €4,540 million (+4% on a comparable basis; +15% including the acquired Versace). Miu Miu, which grew 41% in the same period last year, was up 1%. The group grew 1% in Q3, and wholesale was up 17% over nine months.

Even a fast-growing brand sees growth settle in its second year.

La Conceria

A Moncler store (Amsterdam)Photo: Deerpeter / CC BY-SA 4.0

Moda e pelletteria　FORBES ITALIA ｜ 10/22

Moncler Q3 flat; down 8% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Group revenue was €605.5 million (flat at constant exchange rates). The Moncler brand was down 1%, with Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) down 8%, hit by fewer tourists. Stone Island was up 5%.

European stores rely on tourist spending. When travellers fall away, it shows first in the European figures.

Forbes Italia

A Zegna store (Seoul)Photo: Michaela den / CC BY-SA 3.0

Moda e pelletteria　LA CONCERIA ｜ 10/23

Zegna Group Q3 up 8.2%, driven by the Americas and China

Revenue was €433.8 million (+8.2% on a comparable basis). The Zegna brand grew 12.7%; by region, the Americas were up 14% and China 8.7%. Tom Ford Fashion was up 5.5% and Thom Browne down 7.4%.

Yasuo’s viewWith the big groups’ results all in, it was a week that drew a clear line between companies that are growing and those that are shrinking.

La Conceria

The Alfa Romeo plant in Arese in its working yearsSconosciuto (public domain)

Moda e pelletteria — LA VOCE DEI BRAND ｜ 1 Oct

Uniqlo opens its fifth Italian store where Alfa Romeos were built – its first in a shopping mall

The store will open in spring 2027 at Il Centro, the shopping centre in Arese, north of Milan, with about 1,000 m² of sales space on two floors. It follows Piazza Cordusio and Piazza Gae Aulenti in Milan and Via del Corso and Termini Station in Rome, and is the brand’s first store inside a shopping mall in Italy. Il Centro, one of Lombardy’s leading retail centres, stands on the former Alfa Romeo production site.

From city-centre streets to an out-of-town mall: a move to reach shoppers who live outside the city and arrive by car.

La Voce dei Brand

A Natuzzi showroom (Cardiff, UK)Photo: Jaggery / CC BY-SA 2.0

Design　LA CONCERIA ｜ 10/28

Leather sofa maker Natuzzi changes CEO; losses of around €100,000 a day

On 26 October, founder Pasquale Natuzzi stepped down as CEO (remaining chairman), and Aldo Uva, who was also CEO in 2008–09, took over. The first-half loss was €19 million. The New York Stock Exchange has scheduled a delisting hearing for 17 December.

The fall in upholstered furniture exports reported in the last issue has reached the management of the district’s flagship company.

La Conceria

Chairs on show at the Salone (illustrative image)Photo: Lord Brummel / CC BY 2.0

Design　LA CONCERIA ｜ 10/28

Furniture industry association FederlegnoArredo elects Vismara as new president

His term runs from 2026 to 2030. The sector’s exports in January–July were down 3.9% year on year, with all three main markets falling: France (−4.4%), the US (−9.4%) and Germany (−7.4%). The new president says that “right now it is impossible to plan ahead”.

All three main export markets falling at once is a tough moment for the furniture industry.

La Conceria — Figures from FederlegnoArredo (Eurostat)

Via della Spiga, MilanPhoto: Stefano Stabile / CC BY-SA 3.0

Concia e distretti　LA CONCERIA ｜ 10/28

Lineapelle’s emerging designer project goes on sale in a shop for the first time

Fourteen brands from “Designers Edition” at the leather fair Lineapelle are on display and on sale at the boutique DAAD on Via della Spiga until 1 November. After the runway, it is an attempt to create a place to meet buyers directly.

The fair has begun reaching out as far as connecting new makers with end consumers.

La Conceria

An Italian tanning district that processes imported raw hides and semi-finished leather (illustrative image)Photo: Tomas07 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Concia e distretti　LA CONCERIA ｜ 10/27

Brazilian leather exports down 3.1% in January–September; down 13% to Italy

According to the Brazilian tanners’ association (CICB), exports totalled $814.2 million. Finished leather fell 13%, while semi-finished crust rose 19.3% and salted raw hides 65.5%. By country, China and Hong Kong took $250.7 million (−4.6%), the US $102.2 million (−12.6%) and Italy $81.3 million (−13%).

A growing share is exported before finishing. Where a leather was finished is being asked more than ever.

La Conceria

Santa Croce sull'Arno, the leather town, and the river ArnoAmexDVS (public domain)

Concia e distretti　LA CONCERIA ｜ 10/23

LVMH's head of leather: 'Right now, there is no school for tanning'

Yves Cauchon, CEO (since March) of LVMH Métiers d'Art, which brings together the group's tanneries and other suppliers, gave an interview in Santa Croce, the Tuscan leather district. He named investment in the tannery network, training to draw in young people, and 'zero tolerance' on legal compliance as his priorities.

When even the majors name training as a priority, the shortage of tanners has become a problem for the whole district.

La Conceria

Water-repellent fabric (illustrative image)Photo: Juan Francisco Jiménez Orte… / CC BY 4.0

Regole UE　PFAS restriction proposal (ECHA)

EU proposal for a broad PFAS restriction: socio-economic committee's final opinion expected by year-end

For the proposal to restrict PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) as a whole, ECHA's Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) adopted its final opinion in March 2026. The Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) agreed a draft opinion in March and, after a consultation, is expected to deliver its final opinion by the end of 2026. The European Commission will then draw up the restriction. Textiles, upholstery, leather and clothing are among the sectors assessed.

Following the PFHxA restriction that began on 10 October for clothing, related accessories and footwear (extending to other textiles and leather from October 2027), the restriction of PFAS as a whole moves to its next stage.

CMS · Beveridge & Diamond　Not a new announcement this week, but a summary of where things stand

Yasuo’s viewResults from the big groups split into winners and losers, while Uniqlo moves into a mall outside Milan. A week in which both ends grew: expensive leather bags and affordable Japanese clothing.

Speciale · Ceramica e superficiTiles & Building Materials↑ Contentspagina 9

The European Parliament chamber (Strasbourg, June 2026) (illustrative image)Photo: Célian / CC BY-SA 4.0

IL SOLE 24 ORE · EUNEWS ｜ 22 October

European Parliament backs a 'separate benchmark for tiles' in the review of Emissions Trading System (ETS) benchmarks

The negotiating position was adopted with 474 votes in favour, 82 against and 28 abstentions. Sectors where a common benchmark causes major distortions would be allowed sector-specific benchmarks (based on the most efficient top 10% of plants), with tiles and refractories named as priorities. Augusto Ciarrocchi, president of the industry association, welcomed it, saying 'a uniform benchmark is unfair'; Nicola Procaccini MEP (ECR) said 'the ETS itself makes the economy poorer'; and Annalisa Corrado MEP (PD) said 'the road is not over yet'.

Yasuo’s viewHow emission allowances are treated feeds straight into the cost of making tiles, so I want to keep an eye on how the negotiations go.

Il Sole 24 Ore · Eunews · Sassuolo Oggi　The final text will be settled in negotiations with the Council and the Commission

The town of Fiorano ModenesePhoto: Rondinnone carlo2 / CC BY-SA 4.0

SASSUOLO OGGI ｜ 10/27

Panariagroup to apply for extraordinary short-time working (CIGS); unions fear 'major downsizing'

Citing weak demand for large-format tiles and falling sales, the company told the unions it would cover office staff at all sites and production departments at the Fiorano plant, among others. Production at the Finale Emilia and Toano plants is excluded. The article does not give the number of people affected.

Weak demand for large-format tiles is starting to reach jobs.

Sassuolo Oggi

Humanitas University's Innovation Building (2024)Photo: Marcuscalabresus / CC BY-SA 4.0

ARCHIPRODUCTS ｜ 10/26

Medical school building outside Milan wins a special prize at Casalgrande Padana's architecture award

The 'Roberto Rocca Innovation Building' at Humanitas University in Pieve Emanuele (6500㎡, designed by Filippo Taidelli and others). The lobby floor uses large 120×278cm porcelain tiles, and the exterior is a double-skin glass façade. The prize was in the offices and public buildings category of the 13th edition.

It stands on the southern edge of Milan, a visitable example of large-format tiles used on a public floor.

Archiproducts

White marble from the Carrara area (illustrative image)Photo: James St / CC BY 2.0

ARCHIPRODUCTS ｜ 10/23

Cattelan Italia adds three marble-effect ceramic patterns for table tops

The patterns are 'Taj Mahal', 'Giava' and 'Darwin', available on dining tables, coffee tables, desks, sideboards and more. The article does not name the ceramic manufacturer or give the thickness.

Yasuo’s viewFor people who want to avoid the weight and upkeep of natural stone, ceramic tops are becoming more of an option in furniture too.

Archiproducts

Marca Corona's 19th-century chimney, still standing in SassuoloRobby1978~itwiki (public domain)

CERAMICA.INFO ｜ 10/20

Marca Corona Prize invites artists aged 18–35; theme 'Segni Comuni'

Now in its 5th edition, this is the prize the long-established Sassuolo tile maker awards to young artists. It comes with 1500 euro and an in-house residency. The deadline is 11 January 2027, and the winner will be announced on 5 February during Arte Fiera in Bologna.

ceramica.info　Announced 20 October (before this week)

Yasuo’s viewThe tile districts are squeezed by both energy costs and emission allowances. It is worth remembering that ceramic prices are unlikely to fall any time soon.

MateriaMaterials↑ Contentspagina 10

A terrazzo alla veneziana floorPhoto: Abxbay / CC BY-SA 3.0

MATERIA ｜ Materials compared

Floors: terrazzo and cement tiles

Terrazzo is a floor rooted in the Veneto: marble chips are scattered over a lime or cement base, beaten in on site, then ground and polished with linseed oil. It forms a single surface with no joints, and is said to cope well with the small movements of Venetian buildings standing on piles. Because the chips are marble, it is just as vulnerable to acid as marble. Cement tiles (cementine in Italy) appeared in the late 19th century: slabs that are not fired but compacted in a hydraulic press. The colour and pattern sit only in a top layer a few millimetres thick, and they have traditionally been finished with linseed oil rather than ground. Acidic cleaners are off-limits, and regrinding wears away the patterned layer. Both were widely used in Italian homes in the early 1900s.

Grow a single surface on site, or lay a pattern tile by tile? That is where choosing a floor begins.

Sources: Wikipedia (Italian) Pavimento alla veneziana / Wikipedia (English) Cement tile / Ingenio

Finished leather waiting to be shipped (illustrative image)Photo: Tomas07 / CC BY-SA 3.0

MATERIA ｜ Materials basics

Leather finishes: aniline and pigment

The finish does much to shape how leather looks. Aniline finishing colours the leather with water-soluble dyes alone, so pores, creases and even small scratches show through, giving a colour with depth. Because it hides nothing, only hides with a clean surface can be used. Pigment finishing covers the surface with a coating containing colour particles. The colour is even, it resists dirt and abrasion, and fading from light is reduced, but the translucency is lost. In between sits semi-aniline, which keeps some of the see-through quality of the dye while evening out the surface with a thin layer.

It is not a question of which is superior, but of what you trade for what. The same aniline is a strength in a bag whose colour you enjoy watching develop, and a point to watch on a sofa that many people sit on, in a spot where the sun comes in.

Do you see the marks on leather as 'character' or as 'flaws'? Your answer decides the finish.

Source: Wikipedia (Aniline leather)

Yasuo’s viewTerrazzo, cement tiles and aniline leather all gain character with use. Whether you can explain marks and colour changes as character is what makes the sale.

CulturaCulture↑ Contentspagina 11

Cerano, San Carlo Erecting the Cross at the Gates of Milan, 1602 (detail)Giovanni Battista Crespi (public domain)

CALENDARIO ｜ 4 November

The day of San Carlo, patron saint of Milan

Wednesday 4 November is the feast of San Carlo Borromeo (1538–1584), patron saint of Milan alongside Sant'Ambrogio. He is remembered as the archbishop who cared for the sick during the plague of 1576. From this day until Epiphany (6 January), the Duomo displays the 'Quadroni', 56 large paintings depicting his life and miracles. This year, on 4 November, entry to the Duomo and its museum is free (booking required).

Sources: milanofree.it · Il Giorno

Yasuo’s viewIf you visit the Duomo at this time of year, look up at the Quadroni along the nave. It is a sight you can see only once a year.

Artemisia Gentileschi, Annunciation, 1630, Museo di CapodimonteSailko (public domain)

MOSTRE ｜ Museo Diocesano

Artemisia Gentileschi's Annunciation

Museo Diocesano, 27 October – 31 January 2027. This is this year's 'Capolavoro per Milano', a single work on loan from the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples. Painted in 1630, the large canvas is thought to be her first work after moving to Naples, and it is shown together with the results of new scientific analysis.

Finestre sull'Arte

Tanztheater Wuppertal in The Rite of Spring (2009; not the La Scala production)Photo: Damien HR / CC BY-SA 2.0

BALLETTO ｜ Teatro alla Scala

Pina Bausch's Rite of Spring at La Scala for the first time

Opens 7 November, until 21 November. The first half is Balanchine's Apollo (with Roberto Bolle on some dates); the second is Bausch's Rite of Spring, choreographed in 1975 for Tanztheater Wuppertal. It is the first time it has been danced at La Scala. The opening night is sold out.

Teatro alla Scala (official)

A concert at Blue Note, Milan's jazz club (illustrative image)Photo: Lgrassis / CC BY-SA 4.0

MUSICA ｜〜11/8

JAZZMI jazz festival: the last ten days

The jazz festival, which began on 19 October, runs until 8 November. Centred on Teatro della Triennale, it includes Gregory Porter on 3 November (Alcatraz) and Ibrahim Maalouf on 4 November (Teatro Arcimboldi).

Zero

CONCERTI ｜ Auditorium

Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

Auditorium di Milano, Friday 6 November at 20:00 and Sunday 8 November at 16:00. Conducted by Pablo González, with soloist Javier Comesaña. Also Mozart's overture to The Marriage of Figaro and Nielsen's Symphony No. 2.

mentelocale

In bocca al lupo!In bocca al lupo

LA PAROLA ｜ Phrase of the week

'Good luck', 'Break a leg'

Domani ho l’esame. — In bocca al lupo! — Crepi!
(I've got my exam tomorrow. — Good luck! — Thanks!)
Literally, 'into the wolf's mouth'. It is said to come from an old charm against bad luck, in which hunters were deliberately wished something ominous. The reply is 'Crepi!' (may the wolf drop dead).

Accademia della Crusca

Yasuo’s view4 November is the feast of San Carlo. With Bausch at La Scala and Artemisia’s Annunciation, Milan’s November is full of things to see.

Il personaggio e il capolavoroPerson of the Week · Masterpiece of the Week↑ Contentspagina 12

CalendarioSat 31 Oct On this night in 1512, the Sistine Chapel ceiling was unveiledSun 1 Nov All Saints' Day Ognissanti · public holidayMon 2 Nov All Souls' Day Commemorazione dei defunti · working dayWed 4 Nov National Unity and Armed Forces Day Marks the 1918 armistice · working day

Il personaggio della settimana · Person of the week

Michelangelo

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564)｜Sculptor, painter, architect, poet

システィーナ礼拝堂の内部を正面の祭壇壁に向かって見上げた写真。天井一面のフレスコ画が奥へ続き、正面の壁に最後の審判が見える

Rome, 514 years ago this weekend. On 31 October 1512, at the service on the eve of All Saints' Day, Pope Julius II unveiled the newly finished ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

It was painted by a man who never hesitated to say he was a sculptor, not a painter. Some four years after the contract of May 1508, he had spent them head tilted back, arms raised, facing the ceiling from the scaffolding.

Sources differ on whether the unveiling was on the evening of the 31st or at Mass the next morning. But they agree that it was finished in time for All Saints' Day.

The last sculpture that 'sculptor' worked on is in Milan: the Rondanini Pietà at the Castello Sforzesco. Once you have gazed up at the ceiling, do go and see it too.

Anecdote | 'I am not a painter'While painting the ceiling, Michelangelo wrote a half-joking poem to his friend Giovanni about how hard it was. It begins 'I've grown a goitre from this toil, as cats in Lombardy do from the water', and goes on to describe his beard pointing to the sky and paint dripping until his face is blotched. The last line reads 'I'm in the wrong place, and I'm no painter' (né io pittore). The autograph manuscript survives at Casa Buonarroti in Florence, with a sketch in the margin of himself standing and painting the ceiling.

Musei Vaticani, 'La Volta' (in Italian): the contract of 8 May 1508, completion by 31 October 1512, the Mass on 1 November
A. Paolucci, 'Ma l'anno fatale fu il 1508', L'Osservatore Romano, 21 February 2013 (published in the Vatican Museums' archive): the unveiling at Vespers on 31 October, the eve of All Saints' Day
Michelangelo, Rime (ed. E. N. Girardi, Laterza 1960), no. 5: text of the poem
Archivio Buonarroti XIII, fol. 111, Casa Buonarroti: autograph manuscript (addressed to Giovanni da Pistoia)

Il capolavoro della settimana · Masterpiece of the week

「Lettera 22」

Lettera 22 (1950)｜Design: Marcello Nizzoli｜Mechanism: Giuseppe Beccio｜Made by Olivetti｜First Compasso d’Oro, 1954

水色の金属ボディの持ち運び用タイプライター。黒い角形のキーが4列に並び、右上にひとつ赤いキーがある

A portable typewriter launched by Olivetti in 1950. Lettera means 'letter' in Italian. It weighed 3.7 kilos. The keyboard sat within the body, and only the knobs of the roller protruded. The advertising billed it as 'the typewriter for the home'.

In 1954 it won the first Compasso d’Oro. In its citation, the jury wrote that the prize went beyond a single machine to Olivetti's work as a whole, which brought together products, advertising, and the architecture of shops and factories.

In 1959, according to the Olivetti historical archive, the Illinois Institute of Technology in the US named the machine 'the best-designed product of the past 100 years'.

What is the Compasso d'Oro?Italy's industrial design award, launched in 1954 by the La Rinascente department store on an idea by Gio Ponti and Alberto Rosselli. Since 1959 it has been run by ADI (the Italian Association for Industrial Design); today an international jury awards it every two years. The more than 2,300 winning and selected works are recognised by the Italian State as cultural heritage and kept at the ADI Design Museum in Milan.This column presents the winners one at a time, starting from the first edition (1954).

ADI Design Museum, 'Lettera 22 Portable typewriter' (La Rinascente Compasso d'Oro 1954) / ADI, 'Premio Compasso d'Oro 1954 — Motivazioni della giuria' (in Italian): the award and citation
ADI Design Museum, 'Il Premio Compasso d'Oro': its founding, transfers of management (1959 and 1967), biennial international juries, over 2,300 items, 2004 recognition
Archivio Storico Olivetti, 'Lettera 22': 1950 launch, Beccio and Nizzoli, 3.7kg, advertising, the 1959 accolade
Finestre sull'Arte (3 February 2023): the 1959 accolade

OperaOpera↑ Contentspagina 13

L'aria della settimanaAria and singers of the week

'Nessun dorma'

'Nessun dorma'｜Puccini, Turandot, Act III (premiered 1926)｜Aria for Prince Calaf

Vincerò!I will win – the last word of the aria

Atto IListenTwo voices compared, with listening notes

Night in Peking. Prince Calaf, who has solved the princess's riddles, sings under the decree that 'no one shall sleep tonight' that by dawn her heart will be his too. It ends with 'Vincerò!' (I will win!), the top note held to the full.

What took the aria out of the opera house was the 1990 football World Cup in Italy. The BBC in the UK chose Pavarotti's recording as the theme for its coverage, and it spent three weeks at number 2 in the UK singles chart.

Calaf is considered a role for a heavy voice that can cut through a thick orchestra. This week we compare two tenors of different vocal weight. How differently does the same 'Vincerò!' sound?

1980年前後のルチアーノ・パヴァロッティの肖像写真。ひげをたくわえた男性が微笑んでいる

Luciano Pavarotti1935–2007｜Born in Modena

Tenor｜Lirico

A bright, free-flowing voice; in his early years he kept to lirico roles. He expanded into heavier roles in the 1980s and 90s.

Pavarotti around 1980Bernard Gotfryd (public domain)

1948年のマリオ・フィリッペスキの白黒の肖像写真。正装の男性が正面を向いている

Mario Filippeschi1907–1979｜Born in Tuscany

Tenor｜Lirico spinto

He made his La Scala debut in 1948 and sang alongside Callas. His top notes overwhelmed listeners with their resonance and power, according to the Italian biographical dictionary. A dark, full-bodied Calaf.

▶ Radio recording from the 1950sRAI orchestra｜Conducted by Argeo Quadri｜Released by Preiser · 3 min

Filippeschi in 1948Unknown (public domain)

Listening notes | YasuoThe highlight is not just the final 'Vincerò!'. The aria begins quietly, almost as if speaking. How well the singer can hold the voice back here decides whether the final top note (the acuto) comes alive. For a tenor, the truly hard part is actually this first half.
Pavarotti offers a bright voice and beautiful diction, every word clearly delivered. Filippeschi, on the same melody, has weight and thrust in the voice itself. One is light, the other steel. Hear the difference between lirico and lirico spinto for yourself.

Atto IIVoiceVoice type of the week

Voice type　Lirico and lirico spintoLirico: sings long-breathed melodies with a rich sound – the 'tenor's tenor', so to speak. Rodolfo (La Bohème), the Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto).
Lirico spinto: a lirico style of singing with added power to cut through the orchestra (spinto = pushed). Cavaradossi (Tosca), Calaf.

Atto IIIHistoryStoria dell'opera

'Here the opera ends'

25 April 1926｜Teatro alla Scala, Milan｜Conducted by Arturo Toscanini｜Calaf: Miguel Fleta

Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) was a composer born in Lucca, in Tuscany. La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly – these operas, familiar in Japan too, are all his.

His last work was Turandot. But Puccini died before finishing it. On 29 November 1924, in Brussels, where he had gone for treatment of a throat illness, he suffered a heart attack after surgery.

The score stopped partway through Act III, just after the scene in which the slave girl Liù takes her own life.

A year and a half later, on 25 April 1926, the curtain rose on the premiere at La Scala in Milan. When the scene of Liù's death ended, the conductor Toscanini is said to have stopped the performance, turned to the audience and announced:

'Here the opera ends,
because at this point the composer died.'

The rest of the ending was completed by the composer Franco Alfano from Puccini's sketches, and performed from the second night onwards. Most productions today still use Alfano's ending. In 2001, Luciano Berio wrote another ending.

More than one version of his words

Qui finisce l'opera, perché a questo punto il maestro è morto.　– Here the opera ends, because at this point the maestro died (as given in scholarly works)
… rimasta incompiuta per la morte del povero Puccini.　– left unfinished by the death of poor Puccini (as reported in a newspaper of the time)
'Here the maestro laid down his pen'　– the version that spread in the English-speaking world

There is also a story that Puccini himself had asked, while still alive, for it to be announced that 'the composer wrote this far, and then died'.

Map of this column1 of 12 published

Earlier (tap to open)This weekComing

Baroque1600–1750
No. 4 (planned)1607“L'Orfeo”
No. 2 (planned)1738“Ombra mai fu”
Classical1750–1800
No. 6 (planned)1791“The Queen of the Night's aria”
Bel canto1800–1840
No. 10 (planned)1831“Casta diva”
No. 12 (planned)1832“Una furtiva lagrima”
No. 7 (planned)1837“The high C of Guillaume Tell”
Verdi1840–1890
No. 8 (planned)1842“Va, pensiero”
No. 3 (planned)1851“La donna è mobile”
No. 11 (planned)1887“Esultate!”
Verismo1890–1920
No. 5 (planned)1892“Vesti la giubba”
No. 9 (planned)1896“Che gelida manina”
20th century–1920–
No. 1 · 30 Oct1926　This week“Nessun dorma”

← Previousnone yetNext →A story from 1738

Official Charts, 'Luciano Pavarotti — Nessun Dorma': peaked at no. 2 in 1990 / Sports Gazette: account by the BBC producer
Treccani, 'Pavarotti, Luciano' and 'Filippeschi, Mario' (Dizionario Biografico): voice types, La Scala debut, assessment of his top notes
Treccani, 'Puccini, Giacomo' / Opera Australia, 'Turandot: the finale': his death, the unfinished point, differing accounts of Toscanini's words
W. Ashbrook & H. Powers, Puccini's Turandot (1991) / Quotidiano.net (2026 article on the premiere's centenary)

DomandeQ&A · From Readers↑ Contentspagina 14

Marks on the surface of leather, and how they are handled

DOMANDE ｜ Q&A

Are scars and creases in leather defects?

Leather is animal hide, so it carries marks from the animal's life: insect bites, scratches, and creases formed by the body's movement. These are not defects in themselves but signs of a natural material. No leather is entirely free of marks, and they are avoided at the cutting stage so they do not end up on the visible faces of a product.

Choosing by finish makes the decision easier: embossed or pigment-finished leather if you want a uniform look, aniline-type leather if you want to enjoy its natural character.

Domande?Send us your questions

LETTERE ｜ From readers

Reply to this email

Send us anything you would like to know about Italy – materials, production areas, trade fairs and more – by replying to this email. We will cover them in the Q&A in future issues.

Yasuo’s viewMarks and creases in leather are signs that it came from a living animal. Agree in words with your partner, in advance, where a defect begins – and there will be no dispute.

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Sources for the numbers: ISTAT, Japan Ministry of Finance trade statistics, European Central Bank (ECB). Article summaries are written by Yasuo Asaki based on reports from each outlet.