The history of Milan’s most famous pastry shop – Marchesi 1824

Located in the center of Milan, the Vittorio Emanuele II gallery, right above the Prada boutique, there is one of the Marchesis 1824. There are four of them in the world with three being located in Milan.

Katerina Kovalenko, interior designer and founder of the 725.design studio, together with Marchesi 1824 raised the archives and remembered how it all started. Specially for L'Officiel Monaco, she will tell the story of the famous pastry shop, its development, and how it became a part of the Prada Group.

Marchesi 1824 has always combined tradition and creativity, thus in 1824 a small world of ideal desserts emerged in an elegant 18th century Art Deco interior building. The pasticceria located in the heart of Milan, on Via Santa Maria alla Porta 11A street, became the first and most important place in the history of the Marchesi’s name.

The owner, Angelo Marchesi, had already started serving coffee, drinks and cocktails during the aperitif before the early 20th century, as well as freshly baked desserts, cakes, biscuits, and sweets. Pasticceria Marchesi was both a high quality pastry shop and a charming café that began imprinting its name as one of the most memorable places in Milan.

Pasticceria Marchesi has kept its charm intact ever since. The interior still features original furniture from the early 20th century: coffered ceilings, antique mirrors, and Art Deco lamps.

In 2014, Prada Group acquired the majority of stakes in Pasticceria Marchesi, which, almost 200 years after opening at Via Santa Maria alla Porta street, still operates at the same address with the same passion for excellence.

After such a purchase, the main focus was set on opening new spots. So there are even more desserts of excellent quality now! Pasticceria Marchesi has opened two new branches in Milan, both in extremely exclusive locations: Via Monte Napoleone 9 (2015) and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (2017), as well as a branch in the heart of London, on the famous Mount Street in the prestigious Mayfair area (2019).

You can find corporate identity that has been carried through for two centuries in each Pasticceria Marchesi. The new locations were developed by the architect Roberto Baciocchi in association with Marconi. The decor of the interior looks stylish, luxurious, and modern. Velvet fabrics on the armchairs, silk wallpapers with ornaments and an unforgettable shade of pistachio give the interior freshness and idleness. Perfect for a place like this!

No trip to Milan is complete without a visit to Pasticceria Marchesi. It is a perfect spot for a morning coffee, an aperitif after a long shopping trip, a meet up with friends or family over desserts. What a great place to enjoy the beauty of life!

Photo Courtesy of Prada Group
Collage: Katerina Kovalenko