Established in the shadow of the Madonnina (the golden statue of Mary atop the Cathedral) in 1881, at No. 7, Via San Raffaele, Pettinaroli offers a rich assortment of stationery items and much more besides. The printing press represents tradition: in the ancient workshop, they still produce, as they did 100 years ago, business cards, decorative bookplates and wedding invitations. The shop sells manual and semi-manual printing presses and artisanal albums from various parts of Italy. Of particular interest is the section dedicated to art prints, maps and views of Milan, as well as world maps both ancient and modern that look wonderful in the display cabinets. The business has always been family-run, and now the fourth generation is at the helm. The great Milanese families – from Feltrinelli to Falck, Pirelli, Mondadori, Rizzoli and Augusta – have all passed through the doors, as have stars such as Maria Callas. Even Cardinal Montini would habitually buy his headed paper here. Since 1959, the furnishings have remained unchanged, and so to visit this place is to take a trip back through time.
