A Note From The Founders... | | |
The Sanfilippo family's Italian roots run deep, beginning with their emigration from Sicily, Italy, in 1910. For us, it was about 20 years ago when we first toured Italy together, exploring Florence, Rome and Lake Como. We also spent time visiting the beautiful city of Milan, where fond memories have always made it a must-visit destination whenever we've returned to Italy.
Our interest in Italian perfumes has grown over the years, and the fascinating history of Italian fragrances we've uncovered along the way made Milan a natural choice when we decided to open a second Perfume Passage museum!
The journey with Perfume Passage Foundation Milano and the partnership with Guido Taroni have just begun, and we hope you'll join us on this exciting adventure!
Sincerely,
Jeffrey and Rusty, Co-Founders
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"When Perfume Passage first opened in the Chicago suburb of Barrington, Illinois in 2019, the plans for a second museum were not in the immediate future.
Our mission has been to preserve the history, beauty and artistry of perfume bottles, related vanity items and ephemera, and the past seven years just flew by as we've been achieving our goals," said Jeffrey.
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"Being half Italian, I’ve always felt a deep connection to Italian arts, culture, and design. The history of perfumery in Italy has fascinated me ever since I first started wearing Gianfranco Ferré Uomo in the 1980s.
The fashion house's inaugural masculine scent is a blend of woody, soapy and spicy notes.
Milan has become one of our favorite cities when we travel to Europe. We love visiting local perfumeries and museums each time we find ourselves in Italy.
We soon realized that many collectors and consumers didn't know about the rich history of Italian perfumes," Jeffrey said.
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"We were familiar with the Giviemme perfume house, as we had several of their vintage perfumes in our collection," Rusty explained.
"Several years ago fate stepped in when we met Guido Taroni, great-grandson of Don Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone, founder of Giviemme, sparking an instant bond over our shared love for Italian history, fashion and perfume.
That's when we knew that our passion to bring the history of Italian perfumery alive through a second Perfume Passage was a possibility," Jeffrey said.
A partnership with Guido was formed, a building was purchased, renovations began and now the grand opening of Perfume Passage Foundation Milano is set for October 1, 2026!
| | Introducing PPF Milano... | | |
About 40 miles from Lake Como, in a bustling residential and business area, Perfume Passage Foundation Milano is located in a 10,000-square-foot, two-story space within a building in western Milan at Via Giorgio Washington 52.
Completely renovated from top to bottom, the building that previously housed a scooter shop, carpet showroom and several factories dates back to the 1920s.
“We had the opportunity to acquire a large collection of perfume bottles, vanity items, and ephemera from vintage Italian perfumeries. That’s when the idea of opening a Perfume Passage in Milan became a reality,” said Rusty. “We also wanted to keep the Italian collection here rather than shipping it to the US.”
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With the inclusion of the Italian perfume collection, Perfume Passage Foundation has one of the largest collections of perfume, vanity items and ephemera from throughout the world, with items dating back to ancient times.
Perfume Passage Foundation Milano will feature an extensive permanent collection of Italian artifacts. This collection includes over 3,000 perfume bottles, boxes, advertising posters and historical ephemera from the 19th century through the 1970s.
The museum is designed to offer a variety of unique experiences that will take you on an immersive journey through time. With historical contexts that help visitors understand the featured treasures, it serves not just as a museum but as an exploration of Italian creativity, where every fragrance tells a story, and every item becomes part of the Italian cultural heritage!
| | Featuring more than 40 custom-built display cabinets—designed to be viewed from every angle—the gallery leads visitors through the history of Italian perfumeries in a regional journey. Mirrors at one end extend the sightline, creating an illusion that makes the space feel endless. | | A theater with a striking 10‑foot screen is a perfect setting for presentations and documentaries that bring the world of Italian perfumery to life. Walnut chairs from a 1940s Milan cinema—still dressed in their original red velvet—fill the room, instantly transporting visitors into vintage Italian glamour. | | |
We first met Guido Taroni several years ago when he contacted us about his interest and quest to find perfumes and vanity items from the Giviemme perfume house.
Imagine our surprise when we learned that Guido was actually the great-grandson of Giviemme’s founder! Not only is he planning on re-launching some of the company's iconic fragrances, but he's also on a mission to uncover the rich history behind Giviemme and collect artifacts that tell the Giviemme story.
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Guido, a professional photographer, was born in Milan in 1987 and grew up in Lake Como. His passion for history, fragrances and design can be traced back to his parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.
“My parents have influenced me enormously, starting with the education I received, which made me passionate, observant and precise in capturing and surrounding myself with beauty. My father, Giorgio, was a textile designer, then a gallery owner, art dealer and collector. In the 1970s he designed and created scarves for fashion designer Oscar de la Renta and also collaborated with Italian textile factories and other designers, including Gianni Versace and Valentino..
My father lives in Lake Como in the house I grew up in and is still a passionate collector of oil paintings, porcelains, entomology, coins and a treasure trove of ephemera, among other items. He has a phenomenal collection of books, vintage magazines, fashion and perfume advertisements and postcards; he has so many interests and collections! He's been a tremendous help in my search for ephemera about Giviemme.
My mother, Anna Gastel, sadly passed away a few years ago. She was the first female auctioneer in Christie's history and was an art historian and an expert in theater and music.
She had excellent taste and knew how to find the right place for everything, mixing family heirlooms with items found at markets and auctions. They would find new life with her creativity, and she passed this taste on to me," he explained.
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Guided by his passion for Italian perfumes and photography, Guido’s roots run deep. His great-uncle was the iconic Italian film director Luchino Visconti, brother of his great-grandmother. And his uncle was the esteemed fashion and portrait photographer Giovanni Gastel. As a teenager, Guido assisted his uncle and showcased his first exhibition in Milan at just 21, titled Sogni Sospesi (“Hanging Dreams”).
“From the moment I began my professional journey as a photographer, my goal has been to try and find a style of my own, my own way of seeing the things around me. If in some way I manage to differentiate myself from other photographers, that's a great source of satisfaction for me," he said.
| | | Additionally, he teaches workshops on photography at various institutions throughout Italy. | | | | |
Coming out in 2026, his 15th book, titled "Rajasthan Style: India's Magical Palaces, Forts, and Camps," is a collaboration with author Melissa Biggs Bradley. It's a visual and narrative exploration of the architecture, design traditions and material culture of northern India and includes over 550 color photographs.
The term "Rajasthan Style" refers to the distinctive, opulent aesthetic of Rajasthan, a northern Indian region historically known as the "Land of Kings."
| | Guido’s infectious passion for the history of Italian perfumery, along with his deep-rooted connection to his family's Giviemme perfume house, has inspired him on his journey as he's exploring his love for the past. | Guido's great-grandfather, Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone (pictured above), was only 21 years old when he married Carla Erba, in 1900 in Cernobbio. She was the granddaughter of Carlo Erba who founded the pharmaceutical empire of the same name. The company was founded in Milan, Italy, in 1853 as the nation's first industrial drug production laboratory. Giuseppe joined the company and led the perfume department. | | |
As the early 1900s unfolded, Italian fragrance houses began to embrace synthetic chemicals, and Erba Pharmaceuticals became an essential supplier for various perfumeries.
In 1910, Giuseppe traveled to Paris, where he explored the perfume scene, visiting iconic houses like Guerlain, Coty, Houbigant and Piver. He was studying all aspects of fragrances and manufacturing as he searched for that special combination to develop a fragrance that would allow women "to look to the future at the same time they bonded with the past."
Using the laboratories and chemists from the Erba company, he introduced the popular Contessa Azzurra product line in 1916 while he was still working at the Erba company.
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Giuseppe branched out on his own in 1921, and the first perfumes he launched were Subdola, Nina Sorridi and Venezia Mia. His company was often known by his GVM initials or as Giviemme and pronounced JA-VA-M-E in Italy (pronounced as "Gì - Vi - Emme" (or written phonetically for English speakers: "Jee - Vee - Ehm-meh").
Fast forward a century, and we’re thrilled to partner with Guido in creating Perfume Passage Foundation Milano. We’re excited to explore and share the rich history of Italian perfumery, as we believe we’re not only honoring the past but actively shaping its future.
It’s awe-inspiring to think that years ago, the noble Giuseppe Visconti di Modrone, along with his wife Carla Erba, created a commercially successful perfume house, and we have the opportunity to document their journey through the treasures that have stood the test of time!
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Our showroom includes a tribute to Giuseppe's history, featuring a variety of displays with perfumes, vanity items and ephemera from both the Carlo Erba and Giviemme companies. Many of these pieces are from Guido's personal collection, gathered over the years.
With the help of his father, Guido has also focused on locating ephemera items relating to the company. The information they've discovered through Giviemme and Erba advertisements, invoices and photographs unveils a captivating tale!
When visiting Perfume Passage Foundation Milano, be sure to take time to visit with Guido and chat about Giviemme history, perfumes and photography!
| | The Milano Collection Includes... | |
- Perfume Passage Milano tour schedules and hours of operation will be posted on our website at perfumepassagemilano.it
- A cafe serving snacks, coffee, lattes and espressos will be located in the museum.
- A gift kiosk will be located in the museum to purchase books, museum souvenirs and perfumes.
- San Siro Olympic Stadium, site of the 2026 Olympic opening ceremonies, is located about three miles from Perfume Passage Foundation Milano.
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Milan is home to the world's only perfume hotel! Magna Pars is a luxury hotel set in a converted 1940s perfume factory. About a 20-minute walk from the museum, the hotel's rooms feature their own distinct signature aromas inspired by different woods, resins and flowers.
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The Italian word for perfume is: il profumo. To put on perfume: Mettersi il profumo. That smells so good: Che buon profumo!
| | Perfume Passage Milano Is On Social Media... | | |
Visit us at Perfumepassagemilano.it and follow us on Instagram and tiktok to learn about the tour schedules and events at Perfume Passage Milano.
Please also visit us at Linktr.ee to sign up to receive our PassageWAY newsletter follow the links to video content, including the virtual tour by makeup specialist Erin Parsons, and much more!
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Plan a visit to Perfume Passage Milano
- Please visit our website for tour schedules for the next few months! And if you'd like to bring a group or your organization for a tour, please contact us for available dates.
- Museum hours are posted on our website and we are opened through pre-arranged tours.
- Experiencing the collection is best when done in smaller groups, therefore, we limit admission for an up close and intimate experience.
- We also offer private group tours and many other events throughout the year.
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Our mission is to preserve the history, beauty and artistry of perfume bottles, compacts, ephemera and related vanity items. Through education, outreach, and awareness of the Perfume Passage collections and library, our goal is to inspire art lovers, collectors, artists and curators to keep this history alive.
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