Who we are

Zanaria Filatelici is one of the most respected, long-established firms in Italian and international philately, and has been in the business since 1936. Zanaria covers all fields of philately, with a particular interest in the European Classic Sector and the Italian Area.

Our expertise, precision and care for the quality of the material we deal in have made us one of the best-known, most prestigious names among stamp collectors and professionals.

Zanaria quality is known the world over and can be found in many collections which have been awarded prizes at major international competitions. It can also be admired in the pieces held at our Milan offices.

The internet now brings us even closer to those who wish to use our services. It offers immediate, non-stop access to our news, price lists and latest net price sales.

Lastly, visitors can take advantage of our online sales offers, choosing purchases from a range of stamps, books published by us and exclusive accessories. All from the comfort of their own homes.

Having returned to Italy after a period spent abroad, and driven by his passion for stamps, Mario Zanaria decided to open a stamp shop in Via Brera in 1936. The shop was to become a key destination for many serious stamp-collectors.

From the 1950s on, the shop would also become a sort of training centre for Angelo and Daniele Zanaria, who went on to become some of the best-known, highly esteemed stamp experts and dealers at international level.

Over the years, with a steady flow of major Italian and foreign collectors, the Via Brera shop began to seem too small. In the early Seventies, Zanaria Filatelici moved to its current location in Via Santa Margherita.

At the same time, the firm started up a research centre coordinated by Gabriele Serra. This led to the publication of some major works of philatelic literature. Angelo’s son Mario recently joined the company, bringing Zanaria into its third generation of philatelists. The firm is now ready to take on the future with its traditional passion for quality stamps, coupled with a new dose of enthusiasm.

In 2009 Zanaria extended its field of activity to public auctions, with the company Zanaria Aste s.r.l., which runs auctions whilst maintaining the same professional attitude and expertise that have the company has always been known for over the course of its history.

Zanaria Filatelici covers all fields of philately, from the Penny Black to new issues, from tweezers to philatelic literature. However, our main areas of specialisation are still Classic European philately, with a special interest in the Italian States and the Kingdom of Italy (which we study through our research centre, coordinated by Gabriele Serra), France and Switzerland, and the entire Italian Area.

All of the pieces we sell are carefully selected based on their genuineness (which is guaranteed by a special certificate for all the fine quality pieces), and their quality. We prefer material which is not only flawless, but is also good enough to satisfy even the sharpest-eyed expert.

Zanaria also offers its customers additional services such as consulting for national and international exhibitions, searching for specific pieces throughout the world, evaluations and purchases of prestigious collections.

Zanaria takes passionate stamp-collectors to the front line with Zanaria Aste, which organises philatelic auctions. Zanaria

In the Public Auctions section of our website you can browse among past and current auction catalogues, and make pre-bids for the lots you’re interested in, through the private section

We’ll keep you up-to-date on what’s new at Zanaria Aste through our news section and newsletter. In catalogues you can download digital versions of the catalogues and past sales.