Aurora Il Viaggio Segreto in Italia Mantova: A Limited Edition Fountain Pen with Real Character

Introduction

Aurora keeps expanding the Il Viaggio Segreto in Italia series, a lineup of fountain pens dedicated to different Italian cities. This edition celebrates Mantova, a city known for its Renaissance architecture and its proximity to a lake famous for the largest lotus blooming in Europe. Built on the Aurora 88 platform and limited to just 888 pieces, it arrives priced at 652 euros 89 cents at Appelboom, not including VAT. It is a pen aimed squarely at collectors and nib enthusiasts, and there is a lot here worth talking about.

What You Get in the Box

Aurora clearly did not want to leave anything out. Inside the outer sleeve sits the glossy, heavy “coffin” style Aurora box, and layered on top of that is a generous accessory set: a bookmark-style card that, when scanned, plays audio about the city of Mantova, a small trims piece, and a fairly thick booklet showcasing the full Aurora lineup. It is an unusually complete package for a limited edition.

On top of all that, the pen ships with its own special ink, which appears to be a turquoise shade. It is a thoughtful touch that fits the collectible framing of the series, even if the ink bottle itself takes some effort to dig out of the packaging.

Design and Build

The pen shares its dimensions with the Aurora 88: roughly the same length as a Pilot Metropolitan, though with a bit more girth, making it a comfortable size for a wide range of hands. Not too big, not too small, and it posts securely.

The material is a mottled resin with noticeable chatoyance. It is an attractive finish that many will find appealing, even if it is a matter of taste. The finial matches the cap and body material, the clip is the standard sprung Aurora 88 clip, springy without being too tight, and the center band tapers down with Aurora on one side and made in Italy on the other.

One detail that stands out is the threads. Running a finger across them reveals no sharpness at all; they appear gently beveled, which makes capping and uncapping genuinely pleasant. The section tapers down and flares out, and the ink window is well sized for monitoring ink levels.

Nib Options and Flexibility

Aurora’s nib lineup here is close to unparalleled in the current market, an era when many brands offer little beyond fine, medium, and occasionally broad. This series comes in extra fine, fine, medium, broad, double broad, oblique medium, oblique broad, stub, and metallic broad, plus Aurora’s flex-style nib in different grades. All nibs are 18K.

The review unit carries a stub nib, and it is a fairly crisp one. The rhodium-plated gold nib features attractive scroll work, and the feed delivers a consistent ink flow. The nib units screw out, so you can buy additional nibs and swap them yourself easily, which adds long-term value to the platform. The piston filler mechanism rounds out a very traditional, enthusiast-friendly package.

How It Writes

Filled with a standard washable blue ink, the 18K stub lays down a smooth, consistent line with clear character. The feed keeps ink flowing reliably, and the nicely sized section keeps the pen comfortable during longer writing sessions.

The writing experience is exactly what you would hope for from a modern Italian piston filler at this level: composed, consistent, and pleasant to hold.

Who Should Buy It

At its heart, you could argue this is an Aurora 88 dressed up with a themed material and packaging, and that argument is not wrong. But Aurora has done a lot with it. The city-themed series is a clever collectible concept, since there are plenty of Italian cities left to celebrate, giving series collectors a long runway. The Mantova edition leans into its theme with the QR audio feature and the dedicated ink.

This pen makes the most sense for Aurora fans, collectors of the Viaggio Segreto series, and writers who want access to Aurora’s exceptional range of nib grades, including obliques, stubs, and flex options that most manufacturers simply do not offer anymore.

Conclusion

The Aurora Il Viaggio Segreto in Italia Mantova is a pretty, well-built limited edition with a deep nib lineup, smooth piston filler, and genuinely thoughtful packaging. If you collect city-themed editions or want an 18K stub or flex nib on a proven platform, this 888-piece run deserves a close look.