Italian entrepreneur Matteo Marzotto reflects on his family legacy, his mother Marta Marzotto, and his milestone 60th birthday celebrated on September 26, 2026. Speaking with journalist Gian Luca Bauzano in Milan, Marzotto discusses balancing ancestral memories with modern pragmatism, maintaining his family's historic Milanese home, and managing generational transitions within the wool manufacturing dynasty based in Valdagno.
Preserving Family Heritage in Milan
Marzotto resides in a 350-square-meter apartment near the Porta Venezia park in Milan. The residence was once inhabited by his mother, Marta Marzotto, who relocated from Rome following the 1989 death of her daughter Annalisa from cystic fibrosis. Marta Marzotto passed away in July 2016. Matteo Marzotto has chosen to leave the home largely untouched, preserving its velvet and silk sofas alongside a collection of art and antiques that includes works by Schifano, Guttuso, and Mitoraj.
«La sento profondamente mia», Marzotto states regarding the apartment, noting that he has lived in the space since 2001. Rather than wiping the slate clean with modern interior design, Marzotto shares the home with his partner of 11 years, Nora Shkreli, whom he notes shared a deep affection with his mother.
Commemorating Marta Marzotto’s Legacy
Marking ten years since the passing of Marta Marzotto, the Italian Embassy in Bratislava is organizing an exhibition dedicated to her titled The Countess’s Wardrobe at the Slovak National Museum this November, with plans to bring the exhibition to Italy in 2027. Matteo Marzotto reflects on his mother’s intense vitality, describing her as a woman who consumed life entirely while hiding ancient, ancestral fears behind her vibrant public persona.
“The years spent side by side, as if we drank them in one gulp. I miss certain things we didn’t do together, certain words I didn’t say to her,” Marzotto says. He emphasizes that preserving physical spaces like the Milan apartment provides a vital sense of continuity with the past.
Managing the Marzotto Industrial Dynasty
The Marzotto family history is anchored in the textile industry of Vicenza, originating with the wool manufacturing group headquartered in Valdagno. Reflecting on his entrance into the family business, Marzotto notes that the generational handover presented distinct challenges rather than an effortless path. He credits his grandfather Gaetano and his uncle Pietro as foundational figures in his professional formation, alongside his father, despite operating as a minority shareholder within the enterprise.
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