Bulgari’s New Store in Milan Is a Jewel of Craftsmanship
- Sandra Salibian
- Mar 26
- 5 min read
In addition to filling its new store with art pieces, the jewelry house has pledged 900,000 euros to support the city’s Museo del Novecento through its foundation.
Inside Bulgari's new flagship in Milan. Courtesy of Bulgari
MILAN — Bulgari is renowned for its expertise in gold and captivating combinations of colorful gemstones. It took the jewelry house itself to challenge its precious creations with an equally compelling interior design for its new flagship here, which was unveiled Monday.
Housed inside the 1835 Taverna Radice Fossati neo-classical building designed by Ferdinando Albertolli and nestled in tony Via Montenapoleone, the unit is the new jewel in the (retail) crown of the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-controlled jeweler, which aimed to bridge its Roman roots with nods to Milanese architecture in the 8,072-square-foot space spanning three floors.
“We dreamt about having a space like this and we realized it exactly how we imagined it,” said Bulgari’s deputy chief executive officer Laura Burdese at the opening, underscoring that the store was three years in the making, two of which were dedicated only to complete the renovation works.
“We conceived it as a space which could narrate a story, our story, which is in between the past and our Roman identity and the future, today represented by Milan, a city we wanted to pay tribute to with a flagship that is more than a mere store but an experiential place that spotlights the best of Made-in-Italy craftsmanship,” said Burdese.
She listed an array of companies involved in developing the light-hued interior concept, including Rubelli for textiles; Venini and Barovier & Toso for glass pieces and chandeliers; Damiani and Musiva for marble, and Mangiarotti for furnishing featuring details inspired by Milan landmarks such as Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Villa Necchi Campiglio and the Palazzo dell’Arengario building.
Fabio Viale’s “Venus” sculpture. Courtesy of Bulgari
A series of artists developed works specifically for the store. These include Fabio Viale, whose modern take on the “Venere di Milo” statue of Venus — one coming with tattooed jewelry — stands in the main hall at the entrance.
This area is dedicated to Bulgari’s key lines, such as the Tubogas, Serpenti and Divas’ Dream collections, displayed in a circular counter crafted from travertine marble. Also featured in this space are the brand’s signature snake symbol and the eight-pointed star motif on the flooring that nods to the company’s Via dei Condotti 10 store in Rome. Golden-hued carpeting, travertine marble columns and hand-painted murals representing the maps of Milan and Rome further define the space.
Inside Bulgari’s new flagship in Milan. Courtesy of Bulgari
Through arched openings, this area leads to the so-called Infinity Gallery on the left and a grand spiral staircase on the right covered in white vegan leather that recalls the shape of Bulgari Tubogas creations.
The gallery nods to Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade and spotlights the brand’s watches and B.zero1 line, as well as its leather goods designed by Mary Katrantzou. It ends with a large LED screen projecting the generative digital artwork “Sunset in Rome” by Stefano Contiero.
The stairs lead to the second floor, an area dedicated to Bulgari’s high jewelry collections, replete with two rooms for VIC appointments which contain three paintings created specifically for the location by Milanese artist Luca Pignatelli. The space is filled with subtle details linking to the brand’s history, such as a bicolor marble flooring that winks to Divas’ shape, which transitions into another puzzle-like geometric pattern inspired by a Bulgari necklace from the ‘70s unearthed in the brand’s archive. A separate room overlooking the luxury shopping street comes with mosaic flooring that recalls the ancient Roman baths and a domed ceiling covered in gold leaves.
Inside Bulgari’s new flagship in Milan. Courtesy of Bulgari
To further express its ties to the arts, Bulgari marked the store opening with the announcement of a new sponsorship agreement to support the city’s Museo del Novecento museum through its Fondazione Bulgari, which was established last year.
Opened in 2010 and showcasing more than 300 artworks of the 20th and 21st centuries, Museo del Novecento is expected to double its exhibition space by mid-2027. Bulgari pledged 900,000 euros to back the project.
Burdese, who was joined by Milan’s Mayor Giuseppe Sala at the store’s ribbon-cutting ceremony and patronage announcement, underscored such sponsorship is Bulgari’s first in Milan. “In Rome, we have always supported the renovation works of ancient landmarks — from the Spanish Steps to the Baths of Caracalla — so here we wanted to focus more on modern and contemporary art,” said Burdese, highlighting the institution’s relevance. “The doubling of the museum will make it even more culturally important on a global scale.”
Monete Tubogas choker in two-colored gold with Roman Imperial bronze coin and diamonds, ca. 1975. Private collection. Tommaso Mariniello/Courtesy of Bulgari
In the meantime, Bulgari has set up its own exhibition area on the top floor of the new store, conceived as a cozy lounge designed by architect Giuliano Andrea dell’Uva. For the first time in Milan, the Roman jeweler displayed a selection of 24 pieces from its Heritage collection in a showcase dubbed “Tubogas & Beyond” and centered on spotlighting its signature Tubogas technique.
“There are some pieces never shown before and extremely rare,” Burdese said proudly. These include the first Tubogas bracelet from 1941, paired with a 1972 reinterpretation with yellow and green enameled details for a more Pop take, as well as the first Tubogas watch tracing back to 1948 and spotlighting how the clock face originally sat in the middle of its wrapping shape rather than at the tip, like in more recent iterations.
A Bulgari Tubogas bracelet in gold and diamonds, ca. 1940. Bulgari Heritage Collection. Courtesy of Bulgari
In addition to necklaces and bracelets featuring one, two or more gold spirals, studded with diamonds or set with colorful gemstones, as well as rare rings and earrings, the showcase included a 1974 three-toned gold Monete Tubogas choker featuring ancient Greek coins, which once belonged to the private collection of Barbara and Frank Sinatra.
The showcase will run through June 29, then “the space will become a multifunctional lounge we will use for different experiences,” said Burdese. “We will bring art collections or use it as exhibition space and in the future we will display other selections of our Heritage collection.”
Monete Tubogas choker in three-colored gold with Greek silver coins, 1974. Part of Barbara and Frank Sinatra’s collection. Bulgari Heritage Collection. Courtesy of Bulgari
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