Il Ponte Auction House Posts €18.1M in First Half of 2026

Milan-based auction house Il Ponte closed the first half of 2026 with total revenue of €18.1 million, matching its performance from the same period in 2025. The house sold 84% of lots by volume and 83% by value across 78 auctions held at its two Milan locations, Palazzo Crivelli and Via Medici del Vascello, with over 11,000 lots offered. Jewelry led the categories at €4.92 million, closely followed by Modern and Contemporary Art at €4.91 million, then Old Masters at €2.7 million, Books and Manuscripts at €1.5 million, and 20th-century Decorative Arts and Design just over €1 million. The top lot was a 15th-century illuminated manuscript of Livy's "Ab Urbe Condita" once owned by Princess Ippolita Maria Sforza, sold for €537,600 in the February Books and Manuscripts auction, setting a new department record. Other highlights included Leonor Fini's 1928 portrait of Italo Svevo, which sold for €358,400 (far above its €15,000–25,000 estimate) to Fondazione CRTrieste, and Josef Albers' 1959 "Study for Homage to the Square: Full Tenor" for €384,000. General Director Rossella Novarini emphasized the house's principles of responsibility and credibility, and its integration with the French Millon Auction Group. Il Ponte is preparing for its autumn season with increased collaboration with Millon experts.