Milan · gelato
Umberto 1934
The clearest longevity record in the Milan set: ninety years at one address, three generations, a flavour count that has never exceeded twelve, and a founder who trained in Naples before Milan ever had a Tre Coni to award - a direct answer to the question of whether Milan can out-make the places that invented gelato.
What to order
Crema Umberto, one of the founder's original flavours, alongside the lemon and pink grapefruit (MilanoToday)
What we know
- Founded 1934 by Umberto Tortolano, born 1907 in Pozzuoli near Naples, who learned to make gelato at the historic Gelateria Peppino in Naples before moving to Milan and opening at the current address, Piazza Cinque Giornate 4, ninety years before the article (MilanoToday)
- Passed to Tortolano's daughter Cesira and her husband Elio Martinuzzi in 1970, and now run day-to-day by their son Stefano Umberto Martinuzzi, with 84-year-old Elio still tasting every batch (MilanoToday)
- Has never carried more than twelve flavours since the founder began with two or three; gelato is still stored in the same style of pozzetti (well freezers) as in 1934 (MilanoToday)
- Kept its original wooden counter, brass flavour tags and chalkboard menu through a restyling led by architect Natalia Bianchi (MilanoToday)
- In summer 2024 ran a rotating-flavour service from a green four-wheel cart inside the five-star Mandarin Oriental Milano, having earlier collaborated with Ralph Lauren on the same cart (MilanoToday)
- Status
- open
- Address
- Piazza Cinque Giornate, 4, Milano
- Maker
- Elio Martinuzzi (84, son-in-law of the founder) and his son Stefano Umberto Martinuzzi (grandson of the founder)
- Opened
- 1934
- Last checked
- 2026-08-21
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