At the heart of Italian luxury: The Altagamma Foundation and the art of craftsmanship
By Kristen Oliveri
In New York City, Matteo Lunelli, president of Ferrari Trento and chairman of the Altagamma Foundation, recently shared a story that feels quintessentially Italian. Over glasses of Ferrari Perlé 2018, he spoke about heritage, beauty, and a nation’s singular devotion to craftsmanship. His message was clear: Italian excellence is not just an industry; it is a cultural identity.
A collective of excellence
Founded in 1992, the Altagamma Foundation unites Italy’s most prestigious brands across sectors — fashion, design, food and wine, jewelry, yachting, hospitality, and automotive — under a shared mission: to protect and promote the country’s creative and cultural industries. With over 120 brands represented, from Ferragamo and Max Mara to Bulgari, Altagamma stands as a collective voice for the artistry, innovation, and spirit that define Italian luxury.
Their vision is both economic and philosophical. Together, Altagamma brands contribute €144 billion annually, representing 7.4% of Italy’s GDP. Yet beyond numbers, the foundation’s mission centers on something more profound, ensuring that beauty, culture, and craftsmanship continue to shape the soul of Italy’s economy and its global influence.
Luxury as culture and territory
“For wine, every great wine is an expression of its territory,” noted Lunelli. That same truth holds for every Italian luxury house. From the vineyards of Trentino to the ateliers of Florence, from Modena’s precision-built Ferraris and Maseratis to the artisan jewelers of Valenza, each brand reflects its local roots while serving as an ambassador of Italian lifestyle to the world.
Luxury, in this context, is not about excess; it’s about origin. It is a celebration of things made by hand, crafted with patience, imagination, and purpose. In an era of speed and scale, Italy reminds us that intrinsic quality and artisanal excellence are timeless values.
A new vision for the next gen
What makes the Altagamma Foundation unique is its cross-sector collaboration and its commitment to the future of craftsmanship. Through initiatives like “Adopt a School,” each brand partners with a technical or artisanal school, investing in education and mentorship. Executives and master craftsmen teach students directly, bridging the gap between legacy and innovation, tradition and technology.
“We need to reposition these artisanal roles for the younger generation, to show them that craftsmanship is not old-fashioned, but a path to creativity, pride, and meaning,” remarked Lunelli.
Sustainability and the ethics of beauty
Altagamma also champions the idea that luxury must unite aesthetics and ethics. Italian brands, Lunelli emphasized, are excelling not only in what they create but in how they create it, in the way they treat the environment, their people, and the communities they operate in. This belief, that beauty and responsibility are inseparable, defines a new kind of luxury consciousness: one where refinement and responsibility coexist.
Despite global uncertainty, the very high end of the luxury market continues to grow, particularly in experiential luxury. Post-pandemic, travelers and collectors alike are investing less in volume and more in meaning. As Lunelli put it in reference to fine wine: “We may drink less, but we’re drinking better.”
Italian craftsmanship as a way of life
From Aman Venice to the forthcoming Aman Dolomites, Italy continues to export more than products, it exports a way of life. Through Altagamma, this ethos of excellence is protected, modernized, and passed on. At its heart, Italian luxury remains a dialogue between creativity and culture, beauty and purpose, tradition and the future. The Altagamma Foundation is ensuring that dialogue continues gracefully, powerfully, and always made by hand.