Marella Rivolta-Zagato's Guide to Milan for the Automotive Obsessed

Yahoo

06-03-2025

Marella Rivolta-Zagato wakes each day at home in Lago Maggiore. She stares at the serene blue lake, surrounded by her animals, while drinking coffee and eating breakfast. Then, she gets in her car and makes the 45-minute drive to Milan, where she steps into her role as the art director—or, as she prefers to call it 'car architect'—at Zagato.
The iconic Italian car design company—renowned for masterpieces like the Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato—has been at the forefront of automotive design for over 105 years. A Zagato stamp, which can be seen in collaborations with legendary automotive brands including Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls-Royce, and Porsche, can triple a car's value. The company created some of the most popular cars of the 1950s and '60s (John Lennon and Pete Townshend were fans) and still today it's a name found everywhere from celebrity garages to PlayStation's Gran Turismo video game.
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As for Rivolta-Zagato, a member of this automotive royal family—she is the granddaughter of Renzo Rivolta, founder of classic car and motorbike manufacturer ISO Rivolta, and the wife of CEO Andrea Zagato—her choice of car for her commute to the Zagato Atelier depends on the mood, she tells Robb Report. While the Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ is her top choice, the Aston Martin is easier to park. Regardless of her choice of machinery, she loves the the drive.
'I enjoy the scenery,' she says. 'I clear my mind when I drive; I tend to think very well.'
But if being on the move soothes her, being in Milan is what excites her creativity.
'Milan has always been the most forward-thinking part of Italy for design and innovation,' she says. 'It's not a beautiful city because if you want to come to Italy, you usually go to Rome, Venice, and Florence. But I always had a passion for design, innovation, and history. I go around in Milan because I get inspiration from the fashion; I get inspiration from the museums. There are many places where you can get inspiration.'
Below, Rivolta-Zagato shares a slice of her Milan and the spots in the city that inspire her love for motoring.
When it's time for a staycation in her native city, Magna Pars Hotel à Parfum and Bulgari Hotel are favorites. For spas, she recommends Portrait Milano, as well as the Mandarin Oriental Spa—if you're a wellness person; she isn't. She gets a little bored during slow treatments at serene spas. Instead, try cryotherapy, she suggests. It takes three minutes—it's like getting health benefits at 200 kilometers an hour. 'Milano is energy!' she says. 'Energy when you walk around. Energy and elegance.'
Rivolta-Zagato's ideal day includes a little afternoon shopping at Antonia. The two locations for this store, Palazzo Cagnola and Portrait Milano, both provide incredibly dramatic backdrops for this mix of cutting-edge fashion with interiors that look like the car of the future. Meanwhile Milan's love of cars fuses with fashion as 10 Corso Como. The former garage is now considered the mecca of Milanese fashion. In addition to being a fashion boutique, it is also an art gallery, a bookshop, a restaurant, and a small hotel.
When it's time to eat, Rivolta-Zagato recommends heading to traditional and historical restaurants like Bice and Don Lisansder. 'They are typical Milanese restaurants, maybe a little bit old-fashioned in that some of them have not been restructured, but that's how our culture was, a little bit warmer inside, not so modern,' she says. 'They give you that warmth of the typical Mamas and Papas cuisine.' Oder typical dishes of Milan like saffron rice or a veal chop, she adds. For cafe experience, she heads to Corso Como (a shopping complex) or Pasticceria Cova, a typical pastry shop. She said car lovers will love Olio located a bit outside of Milan, in Origgio. You can have a cocktail while surrounded by art and vintage cars from the 1900s.
In addition to visiting the Zagato headquarters and seeing the exquisite car models up close, there are plenty of museums. Rivolta-Zagato draws inspiration from Triennale Milan and Museo Alfa Romeo. Located right outside of Milan in Arese, the car museum shows the story behind the iconic car that has been part of automotive history since 1910. The two brands have been working together for over 100 years most recently collaborating in 2022 on a one-off, two-door version of the Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan called the Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato.
Zagato is partial to the roads near her home in Lake Morragio, where you can have unparalleled views of the Alps. 'The roads are beautiful,' she says. 'In Lago Maggiore and Lake Como, there are millions of beautiful scenic roads. You can see the lakes, and right behind the lakes, you see the mountains, the Matterhorn, our Alps.' But she said for more breathtaking drives, get to Strada della Forra, often called the 'eighth wonder of the world.' It provides the perfect collaboration of tunnels, gorges, and rocky cliffs alongside Lake Garda (almost two hours outside of Milan). You could also opt for La Statale Regina, giving you perfect views of Lake Como and classic Milanese villas (one hour from Milan). If you want more of a challenge, Splurga Pass, with its sharp turns and daunting mountain views, is there for you (two hours outside of Milan). And for the adrenaline junkies, she says, try the former Alfa Romero racetrack La Pista at Arese.
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