PIACENZA – Fashion icon Giorgio Armani was laid to rest in a strictly private funeral in the fortified village of Rivalta, a place he deeply loved. The designer’s final farewell was reserved for family, friends, and his closest collaborators.
Despite the private nature of the ceremony, dozens of people, alongside journalists and photographers, gathered outside the barricaded entrance to the ancient complex. As the casket passed, some threw white petals. Dozens of floral wreaths in the same color were placed outside the small Church of San Martino, including one with a golden message from his employees that read: “With much affection, from your employees.”
Monsignor Giuseppe Busani, a friend of the designer and the parish priest of Rivalta who officiated the service, stated, “Armani was the custodian of the garden of beauty created by God.” He expressed gratitude for the choice of location, saying, “We feel loved and esteemed. The bond with Rivalta was lived on earth for many years and will continue in heaven.”
The historic Rivalta castle, an ancient fortification believed to date back to the year 1000, has long been a destination for European nobility. Its owner, Count Orazio Zanardi Landi, confirmed, “Armani adored Rivalta for the emotional ties he cultivated here, especially with his family, who rest here and to whom he will now be reunited.”
The village was closed off with stringent security measures to ensure privacy, with only about thirty mourners admitted. In a poignant contrast, a Milanese couple was granted a rare exception to be married in the same church just hours before the funeral.
While not officially confirmed, it is widely believed Armani’s body will be cremated, with his ashes interred in the family chapel at the cemetery just outside the castle walls. He will be laid to rest beside his mother, Maria Raimondi (d. 1999), his father, Ugo Armani—a former Piacenza footballer—and his brother, Sergio.
The cities of Piacenza and Milan both proclaimed a day of mourning. Born in Piacenza on July 11, 1934, Armani temporarily moved to the Val Trebbia area to escape WWII bombings before his family permanently relocated to Milan in 1949. Despite his global success, he maintained a strong bond with his origins, frequently visiting Piacenza to see a film undisturbed and returning to Rivalta to enjoy local delicacies like “tortelli con la coda” at the Locanda del Falco. His last return was just over two years ago to receive an honorary degree from the Catholic University.