What’s behind the most sought-after panettone in Milan?
The 280 pages of the new tome Assouline that is releasing to celebrate the legendary Marchesi 1824 pastry shop provides more than a simple recipe. The book retraces a history of family ties, personal memories, passion and innovation — all through archival pictures, close ups of arty delicatessen and a text compiled by Julia Buckley that gathers the words not only of Marchesi 1824 chief executive officer Andrea Menicatti but also of the founder’s great-grandson, Angelo Marchesi.
“I was attending my first years of university when I took my first step behind the cherrywood counter at Pasticceria Marchesi. My aunt, Mariuccia, needed help for the holidays. Then it was Easter; then it was summer. I soon realized it was fate — and when Mariuccia retired, I took over the business,” shares Marchesi in the book’s foreword. “Marchesi may bear my family’s name, but it tells the story of Milan.”
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Dubbed “Pasticceria Marchesi: Savoring the Spirit of Milan,” the book marks the 200th anniversary of the pastry shop and spotlights how its role in the gastronomical and social scene of Milan has stayed relevant through the years.
“This is the story of a brand I had the pleasure to know way before starting to work for it,” Menicatti said at a private launch event on Tuesday. He shared his childhood memories, when his grandfather used to buy a tray of Marchesi 1824 pastries every Friday to “give one more reason for us to go and see him on weekends.”
“There are plenty of Milanese families that share similar stories,” Menicatti continued. “Since I joined the company, people tell me this is the place they go to for a birthday cake or a simple coffee break during work. This is the story of a brand that represents sharing, conviviality and that, while still being the epitome of the Milanese [spirit], it also represents a break from the frenzy it imposes.”
The original Marchesi opened two centuries ago at via Santa Maria alla Porta, off Corso Magenta, and has kept all of its original Art Nouveau interiors and neighborhood feel. The Marchesi family’s handmade sweet creations swiftly gained a loyal following among the Milanese, who still show their preference for this specific location.
The pastry shop expanded its reach with outposts both in Milan and abroad when it became part of Prada Group’s portfolio in March 2014.
New units were added in Milan’s Via Monte Napoleone in 2015 and at the landmark Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade in 2016. As reported, the patisserie also landed in London’s Mount Street in 2019.
Prada amplified the charm of the historic brand by tapping longtime go-to architect Roberto Baciocchi to slick the walls of the new cafés with its signature eau de nil paint and green floral jacquard silk wallpaper, which defines the hardcover of the new tome, too.
Yet the elegant spaces dotted by green velvet armchairs and sofas and the staff members dressed in head-to-toe Prada come second to the neat rows of chocolates and picture-perfect pastries displayed like jewels under glass cases, boxes of candies in pastel-toned packaging and tiny salty appetizers served with cocktails during the aperitivo when it comes to drawing crowds on a daily basis.
Treats largely illustrated in the book encompass signatures like candied chestnuts and classic Italian cookie varieties ranging from the Bacio di Dama to Krumiro biscuits. The stars in Marchesi’s offering include the iconic panettone — the sweet doughy loaf dotted with candied fruit and raisins that first put the patisserie on the map — and its famous Torta Aurora vanilla-flavored sponge cake, which for the 200th anniversary was revisited in a chocolate version.
“When we thought of compiling the book, we knew we wanted to involve those who have built the roots of this company,” Menicatti said. “We asked Angelo Marchesi which is the first word he associates with Marchesi and he said ‘innovation,’ and that for us means innovation through products, which is perpetuated under the guidance of our pastry chef Diego Crosara.”
“There’s no innovation without tradition,” echoed Crosara, underscoring that bringing forward what the family built over the years is “a very important task, and not a simple one.”
“It gets more and more difficult also because the client is becoming increasingly demanding and expects novelties,” said the pastry art director, who highlighted the key role of the visual aspect in his job.
For example, the hand-decorated panettone and Easter eggs and the original thematic windows of the Marchesi 1824 shops contribute to the appeal of the patisserie.
“Our windows have become an emblem of Milan and beyond, I have colleagues from all around the world coming to take pictures of them,” Crosara said. To this end, for the first time the patisserie will host a dedicated event for the unveiling of its Christmas windows in early November, which traditionally marks the moment when customers start queueing to secure their panettone supply in the lead-up to the holidays.
This November, clients waiting for their sweet purchase will be able to pass time by flicking through the book, which will retail at 160 euros at the Marchesi 1824 shops, in addition to Assouline’s stores globally and e-commerce.
