Henry James went into ecstasies when he first saw Venice, when he peered up at the Duomo in Florence, when he gazed out on the Bay of Naples. The beauty overwhelmed him. He was the American author who taught a whole country “the luxury of loving Italy.” Still, there was one city this Italophile had no time for.
“In its general aspect still lingers a northern reserve,” the young James sniffed in 1869 when he reached Milan. He walked through the Duomo and was only moderately impressed. He looked at Leonardo’s Last Supper and called it the “saddest work of art in the world.” And then, like too many Americans after him, he bailed for Lake Como. He was not about to hang around a city he called, with Jamesian understatement, “rather perhaps the last of the prose capitals than the first of the poetic.”
Your loss, Enrico. Milan has no river or seafront. It often rains. It is short on romance.
Its hectic pace does not reward visitors seeking dolce far niente. And these days it’s my favorite city on earth. Austere masterpiece, standoffish bijou, Milan has emerged in the four years since the outbreak of the pandemic, which hit northern Italy early and brutally, as the most culturally dynamic big city in Europe, one teeming with youthful ambition in a range of creative disciplines. (See the portrait on the preceding pages, and the work highlighted here.) One in seven residents here is a foreigner, more than in any other big Italian city. The lone Milanese at our photo shoot, the furniture designer Mario Milana, moved back to the city in 2022 after 18 years in New York.
Milan has struck, like nowhere else, the ideal balance of modern speed and enduring quality, a place where respect for the past can lead to radical change. It is (along with Trieste) the least Italian of Italy’s great cities, but if you think of this financial center as some transalpine Frankfurt, you’re missing out big time. Business destination?
Bu hikaye Town & Country US dergisinin October 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Town & Country US dergisinin October 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Come On A My Palazzo - Marcantonio Brandolini grew up within these historic walls, skateboarding through his family's 15th-century Gothic home. Now, from ground floor offices that are more Venice Beach than Doge's Palace, he leads an artisanal incubator that may just save the lagoon from oblivion.
A few years ago, when I was writing a novel about reckless young men in Venice, I stumbled upon a photo online that conjured the spirit of my characters. In it, a scruffy-haired twentysomething sits precariously on the edge of a palazzo rooftop, staring out over the city as if he owns the place. Later I discovered that the young man in that photo wasn’t a random backpacker but Marcantonio Brandolini d’Adda, descendant of one of Venice’s most noble and socially well-connected families. The rooftop on which he’s perched is his family’s majestic 15th-century Gothic palazzo on the Grand Canal. By most definitions, the handsome young man in the photo really does own the place.
That Seat Is Saved - Some couples have a new, must on their invite list, and it isn't who you might expect.
When Marielle Mathe Brookner arrived at FedEx to pick up her wedding invitations, the bride-to-be wasn’t thrilled with their color. “I’m devastated,” she recalls thinking. “I really need to get these out as soon as possible.”Brookner successfully persuaded the retailer to print new copies, but she didn’t let her original invites go to waste. Instead she decided to invite some atypical guests to her November nuptials: Disney, Ben & Jerry’s, and In-NOut Burger, among other brands. She knew Mickey and Minnie Mouse were unlikely to take up room on her seating chart; the 28-year-old realtor “did it mostly for fun.”
Can a Car Have Sprezzatura - The new Maserati convertibles are made for our times.
Sure, we can wax poetic on all of the impressive virtues of the new Maserati GranCabrio Folgore, the first all electric convertible in its class. A canvas top that opens in 14 seconds. Those sumptuous interiors, made from the same quality recycled fabric Prada uses. The range of gorgeous colors (choose from 27, or make it bespoke like an OG). The 818 horsepower that propels it from 0 to 60 in 2.7 seconds, which also makes it the fastest electric convertible in the world right now (fitting, since folgore is Italian for lightning). And that signature Maserati engine roar, specially engineered— and delivered through a state-of-the-art sound system—to mimic the vroom of the Folgore’s gas-powered V6 sister, the Trofeo.
Best Friends Forever...and Ever, and Ever, and Ever - From celebs to finance bros, everyone suddenly seems to think an NAD+ drip is the secret to eternal youth. Could they be right?
In the last couple of years there has been a steady drip (ahem) of content—studies, message board buzz, Huberman Lab podcast episodes—feeding the NAD+ frenzy. “Ever since Jennifer Aniston talked about it being the reason she’s never felt better, it’s been an ‘I’ll have what she’s having’ moment,” says one woman who can best be described as Los Angeles royalty. “But the drips take hours. Snore. I can’t decide if it’s worth it.”
The Etiquette of Dissent - What happens if your candidate loses the election? Fortunately, examples of civilized-and productiveways to handle it abound.
The etiquette of living in dissent thereafter, especially if it goes on for a long time, is another matter. In theory, we are supposed to learn how to be good losers as kids. Athletic leagues give out sportsmanship awards, and institutions like the Scouts try to coach their members toward grace in defeat. Both aim to teach us how to live on the outs, perhaps drawing upon the British public school attitude of let’s-all-pull-together-for-the-empire. (The out-of-power party in the UK is even known as “His Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition.”) In the American ideal, we metaphorically line up and shake hands after the softball game, and then square off again on another day. In practice, what some people do is accuse the other team of cheating and try to get the umpire fired.
So What's New?
How a 166-year-old jewelry house keeps the world guessing.
You're Right Here
A new collection reminds us that life is a journey worth celebrating, Ideally with diamonds and gold.
For Your Eyes Only
A small wedding has many charms. Here are 27 of them.
People We Like
A few concessions are required (sorry, Uncle Bob!), but a small wedding may be the best way to get exactly what you want.
Our Gift to You
Sunblock and snacks? Nice try. The latest flex is for couples to shower their guests with highly curated, and very pricey, welcome bags.
