Turin's Aurora has made fountain pens since 1919 and remains one of a handful of makers anywhere still grinding its own gold nibs in-house, alongside fellow Italian maker Visconti. Its Ottantotto (88) and Optima lines are produced from resin and precious materials at the company's own workshop.
Best for Italian fountain pens with in-house-ground gold nibs
Aurora was founded in Turin in 1919 and has manufactured fountain pens from the same city ever since. Aurora's own marketing has long described itself as the only Italian pen brand still producing its nibs in-house; that claim no longer holds precisely, since fellow Italian maker Visconti began producing its own in-house gold nibs in 2020, but Aurora remains one of one of the few pen manufacturers that still produce their own nibs in-house in the world doing this in-house rather than buying nibs from an outside supplier. Aurora calls the nib the "true heart of the pen," and keeping that step under one roof lets the workshop grind and tune nibs to individual writing styles.
The current range centers on two long-running collections. The Ottantotto, known simply as the 88, and the Optima line (offered in variants such as Auroloide and Caleidoscopio resin) sit alongside limited and numbered editions aimed at collectors. Pricing on the current site runs roughly EUR 350 to EUR 680 for the featured models, positioning Aurora as a mid-to-high-range Italian manufacture rather than a mass-market brand.
Beyond pens, Aurora's own site lists leather goods, watches and paper products among its product categories, though fountain pens and the in-house nib remain the core of its identity. The company markets itself explicitly as Italian-made, describing its work as combining artisanal craftsmanship with modern production technology. For a shopper comparing Italian writing-instrument houses, Aurora's distinguishing claim is a narrow but concrete one: it still makes the one component, the nib, that most competitors buy in.
Turin chocolatier founded 1964 by Giuseppe Gobino as a gianduja workshop; his son Guido created the bite-sized Tourinot in 1995 and the Cremino al Sale (Ligurian olive oil, Cervia sea salt), named world's best praline by London's Academy of Chocolate in 2008.
Best for Giandujotti and Turin chocolate craft.
Guido Gobino traces to 1964, when Giuseppe Gobino founded the 'Laboratorio Artigianale del Giandujotto' in Turin, dedicated to the traditional Piedmontese hazelnut-and-cocoa specialty gianduja. His son Guido took the craft further: in 1995 he reworked the classic boat-shaped giandujotto into a smaller, single-bite version called the Tourinot, which became the product most associated with the brand internationally. Guido Gobino also developed the Cremino al Sale, a savory-sweet layered chocolate made with Ligurian Taggiasca olive oil and Cervia sea salt, which London's Academy of Chocolate named the world's best praline in 2008. The company operates a shop and factory-visit program in Turin.
Bottega Fagnola has bound and restored books by hand in Turin since 1955, working on everything from notarial deeds to antique manuscripts at its Via Orvieto workshop under master bookbinder Luciano Fagnola. Its Via San Tommaso shop and online store sell handmade agendas, albums, and notebooks crafted with the same techniques.
MaFelicita is a handmade womenswear label run from a small workshop on Via delle Orfane in Turin, where its designer cuts and sews limited-edition pieces from leftover deadstock fabric sourced from Italian mills. Its 'Cucito per Te' service lets customers choose their own fabric for a custom-sewn garment, and the atelier is open by appointment.
Best for Handmade womenswear, made-to-order dresses
Via Sacchi 42, 10125 Torino, Italy / Turin / Italy
Opened 1915 by Gustavo Pfatisch; Locale Storico d’Italia in Pietro Fenoglio’s Via Sacchi 42 Liberty building with basement chocolate workshop (official history; Turismo Torino).
Best for Locale Storico d’Italia in Pietro Fenoglio’s Via Sacchi 42 Liberty building with basement chocolate workshop.
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