The guide that is not a guide
Fantastic Milan is not a practical guide. It does not tell you where to eat or which museum to visit first. It tells you what Milan is made of the invisible layers beneath the surface of one of Europe's most misunderstood cities.
220 pages. Bilingual edition in Italian and English. Original illustrations by Giulia Lazzaron.
Milan has always been two cities at once. The visible one financial capital, fashion capital, design capital and the other one, older and stranger, that runs beneath the arcades and inside the courtyards. Fantastic Milan follows the second one.
Through the voices of Mantica and Lucina two cantastorie, storytellers from another time the city reveals itself chapter by chapter: the Biblioteca Ambrosiana where Leonardo's drawings still breathe, the hidden gardens behind palazzo doors, the canals that once made Milan a port city, the esoteric geometry of the Duomo's spires.
It is a book to read before arriving. Or after leaving, when the city still lives inside you.
Fantastic Milan is available at the bookshop of the Bibblioteca Ambrosiana, the Pinacoteca di Brera, Bottega Brera at Palazzo Citterio, the Gallerie d'Italia Milano, the Castello Sforzesco, the Libreria Esoterica Milano in Galleria Unione, the historic Libreria Bocca dal 1775 in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and La Feltrinelli.
Also available as ebook on Kobo and international digital platforms.
Peacock International is the international imprint of Casa Editrice Peacock, based in Galzignano Terme, Padova, Italy. Board member of Associazione Editori Veneti. Publisher of the Fantastica series illustrated guides to Italian cities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fantastic Milan? Fantastic Milan is an illustrated guide to Milan, text by Grazia Guarnieri and illustrations by Giulia Lazzaron, published by Casa Editrice Peacock. 220 pages, bilingual Italian and English. It follows the invisible city the older, stranger Milan that runs beneath the arcades and inside the courtyards.
Who wrote and illustrated Fantastic Milan? Text by Grazia Guarnieri. Illustrations by Giulia Lazzaron. Published by Casa Editrice Peacock, 2024. ISBN: 979-12-81715-03-5.
What is the difference between Fantastic Milan and a traditional travel guide? Fantastic Milan is not a practical guide. It tells Milan through stories, legends and alternative routes, guided by two cantastorie Mantica and Lucina. A book to read before arriving or after leaving.
Where can I buy Fantastic Milan in Milan? At the bookshop of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Castello Sforzesco, the Libreria Esoterica Milano in Galleria Unione, the historic Libreria Bocca dal 1775 in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, and La Feltrinelli. Also available as ebook on Kobo and international digital platforms.
What is the Fantastica series by Casa Editrice Peacock? The Fantastica series includes Fantastic Milan, Fantastic Padova and Fantastic Turin. Three illustrated guides to three cities of Northern Italy, all with text by Grazia Guarnieri and illustrations by Giulia Lazzaron. Bilingual edition in Italian and English.
Is Fantastic Milan available as ebook? Yes. Available on Kobo and international digital platforms.