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HTSI editor’s letter: a royally good read


Just when you thought there were no other fantasy castelli to discover in Italy, along comes another so magical, so layered with centuries of artistic endeavour, that you wonder how it could possibly have remained so relatively unknown. Castello di Cigognola lies in the Apennine foothills, beyond the great plains below Milan that perhaps deter some visitors from venturing beyond the usual tourist route. A neo-gothic fortress, it is now owned by Gabriele Moratti, a fashion chairman, oil executive and film producer who has, alongside his partner, been restoring and developing the family property since inheriting it from his father in 2018. 

The Madonna bedroom at the Castello
The Madonna bedroom at the Castello © Giulio Ghirardi

The Castello was first brought to our attention by the photographer Giulio Ghirardi, who sent a series of pictures he had taken of it swathed in autumnal mist late last year. It was immediately beguiling – and so we sent him back for further study. The resulting portfolio brings to life the building’s many idiosyncratic details. I am especially taken by the emerald jolt of tiles that characterises one of the many bathrooms – so ’70s – which contrast brilliantly with the resplendent chintzy fabrics that cover the walls, curtains and upholstery in “the little man” guest room; not to mention the religious icons, walls of Madonnas and quiet vestibules. The interiors have a cinematic quality: no surprise that, among his many side projects, Moratti has worked as a producer on Luca Guadagnino’s latest film. Maria Shollenbarger goes on a grand tour of the Castello as it prepares to open up to guests – for ballet performances, philosophy talks and yoga retreats eventually – and finds out what it’s like to live in one’s very own museum. 

Bronze Eroded Venus of Arles, 2022, by Daniel Arsham, in the renovated Tiffany & Co store
Bronze Eroded Venus of Arles, 2022, by Daniel Arsham, in the renovated Tiffany & Co store © Cole Wilson

Another museum of sorts at Tiffany & Co: its 57th Street and Fifth Avenue flagship store has reopened following a seven-figure renovation by its new proprietors, the LVMH group. The rethinking of one of America’s most famous architectural landmarks has been entrusted to architect and interiors expert (and LVMH stalwart) Peter Marino, who talks to Harriet Quick about how best to illuminate tiny pieces of jewellery within a massive retail space. His solution? To stage a series of artistic interventions that, for visitors, will contribute to a sense of being in a gallery. With customary bravura, he’s also taken the liberty of installing a sweeping spiral staircase inspired by the forms of the legendary Tiffany jeweller Elsa Peretti. It’s a statement that is typically grandiose, frivolous and a little bit irreverent – surely something of which Ms Golightly would approve.

The then Prince Charles in 1978
The then Prince Charles in 1978 © Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

Lastly, on coronation weekend, we bring you King Charles fashion, a shopping list inspired by the man who takes the throne. The King has long been cited by writers and designers as one of the great contemporary style icons, and Aylin Bayhan’s round-up includes pieces that carry his royal warrant, as well as things that have been made especially to commemorate the day. I’m planning to follow his lead in having more things patched and mended – Charles regularly wears coats and jackets he has owned for many decades, and is still photographed wearing a pair of shoes he has owned, and had repatched, since 1971. 

@jellison22

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