The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2022 - Issue 32

bitetravel New Portrait Milano Opening in Milan, Italy LungarnoCollection Images courtesy of ASA Luxury L ungarno Collection recently opened its most exciting new hotel, Portrait Milano, in the fashion capital of Milan, Italy. Housed in the former Archiepiscopal, Europe’s oldest and the world’s second oldest seminary, it was built in 1564 and commissioned by San Carlo Borromeo. Un- til now, it has never been open to the public, but a careful ren- ovation project by Ferragamo-owned Lungarno Collection, commissioned to architect Michele De Lucchi and his studio AMDL Circle has changed that. The great space in Corso Venezia 11 has become a new des- tination in the city combining Portrait Milano’s values with food, fashion, design and wellness experiences for locals and visitors alike. Standing close to Francesco Maria Richini's splendid Baroque archway, the hotel has taken over the strik- ing new Piazza del Quadrilatero framed by a double colon- naded loggia. It connects to Corso Venezia and Via S. Andrea for the first time and modifies pedestrian access through the fashion district. Portrait Milano’s interior decor and its 73 rooms and suites on the first floor were designed by architect Michele Bonan who also worked on Hotel Lungarno, Portrait Roma and Portrait Firenze. The rooms are inspired by the city’s salot- ti (living rooms) of the 1950s and the blond Italian walnut and oriental references take guests back to the most charm- ing houses in Milan. The boiserie on the walls features rattan panels and adds texture to the simple and essential lines of the interior design. Guests will notice a predominance of red and green, the com- plementary colours often found in Milanese houses. It’s deep- ly connected with the city, and its coat of arms, composed of a red cross on a white Samnite shield and a laurel and oak brand tied together with a tricolour ribbon. The intense red shade in the details is a tribute to San Carlo Borromeo. Guests will find restaurants, boutiques and a wellness centre on the ground floor in the Piazza del Quadrilatero. Portrait Milano’s specially selected partners include Beef- bar, an Italian restaurant brand that has consistently grown abroad, with destinations including London, Paris, Hong Kong and Sao Paulo. The restaurant and bar on the east side of the piazza will mark its first Italian location. Antonia, owned by Antonia Giacinti and Maurizio Purificato, sells in- ternational and emerging brands’ products in the store. Their new home adds to their historic Brera location. The first flagship store for Maria Sole Ferragamo’s brand, So- le Studio, rescues abandoned materials in a circular process of creativity and design, transforming them into evocative jewellery. The Longevity Suite, which will manage Portrait Milano’s wellness offering, is an enlightened brand. It pro- motes integrated, high-performance, high-tech protocols to guide people toward wellbeing through a perfect balance be- tween health, conscious beauty and mental energy. Young and talented chef Alberto Quadrio will guide Portrait Milano's fine and casual dining. Born in 1990 and originally from Piedmont, Alberto favours traditional, authentic and evocative flavours and the value of sharing he learned from his family. www.lungarnocollection.com/portrait-milano-hotel