Caprotti’s ‘extended family’ between Albiate and Milan
There is a long list of closely trusted people with whom the families of yesteryear surrounded themselves and filled their homes, people who called their employers by name ('scior Bernardo', 'sciora Bettina', 'scior Peppin'), knew more about their lives sometimes than themselves, and were always there at every important family event, with pride and sometimes even emotion.
Around the Caprottis: the beloved villa in Albiate
Since the end of the 19th century, when the Caprotti family bought the villa, much of the family history passed through that house, and continues to do so. Many photographs recount it, many memories that have remained in the letters and in the souls of those who lived them, and bring back serene photos among the trees, the games in the courtyard, the animals that once were, even the old carriages that the family used for a long time, even after the advent of cars, and which still exist.
Gianni Albertini and the impossible enterprise
The voyage on the pack refers to the value of enterprise, to the importance of the help that one man can give to other men. It is a hymn to hope that must not die. Albertini will do other things in life. His work and passion for golf will absorb him completely. Of that adventure there is little emphasis. If he thinks about it, he weeps.Today, when everything is spectacle, appearances, narcissism, selfishness, a virtual bubble in which the false is confused with the true, that journey is not just a testimony to courage, it is an adventure driven also by a moral duty. It was enough for Albertini to know that he had done what was right. Not out of duty, but because it was right to do so. A universal lesson.
Manifattura Caprotti and ‘white’ cooperativism
After the First World War (1919-1921), Bernardo Caprotti, grandfather Peppino's father, founded the 'Società Mutua Cooperativa di Consumo' with Galeazzo Viganò and some technicians and workers from their respective factories, to lower the prices of basic necessities.
The Caprotti family and the co-ops: Albiate, Bernardo Caprotti and the mutual aid cooperatives (1907-1920)
It may seem almost a twist of fate, given the facts of the Caprotti family's history, but great-grandfather Bernardo Caprotti was among the founders of no less than two mutual aid cooperatives. One still exists today in Albiate and has four supermarkets.
The joy of snow, always: for Milan-Cortina 2026
Since the 1920s at least, everyone in the family has been skiing, great-grandparents, fathers and grandchildren, boys and girls: from great-grandfather Umberto Quintavalle, who ended his life in a crevasse under the eyes of his grandmother Adele, to grandmother Luisa and her children, my mother Giorgina and uncle Beppo, from great-grandfather Giuseppe Venosta, President of the Sport Club Pirelli to grandfather Guido, from his brother Gigi Venosta, who in addition to skiing was also a national hockey player, to Gianni Albertini, husband of aunt Ida Quintavalle, who was also a masterful climber and Arctic explorer. And up to us, children of that passion that we still continue.
Fulvio Pierangelini and Esselunga ravioli
In this article there are several mentions of episodes from Le Ossa dei Caprotti , my book published in 2023 by Feltrinelli: the private-label chicken tortellini, the Zunino affair and the meeting with the ‘world’s best cook’, which enriched me personally but did not bear the desired fruit at Esselunga. Certainly not to the demerit of Fulvio Pierangelini
In Italy, small towns are emptying, even of shops: will Amazon Now provide the service in the future?
Our distributors – such as Selex and Conad – who operate consortia, and thus are unable, with some exceptions, to offer a widespread e-commerce and delivery service for basic food and household products throughout Italy – risk having to leave space and opportunity to Amazon Now over time
Guido Venosta: AIRC and Pirelli
Pirelli joined AIRC in the mid-1960s, supported the association by hosting and producing its advertising, ensuring regular visibility in its internal publications, and backing public fundraising initiatives. Within Pirelli, AIRC found in Guido Venosta, Director of the Tyres Division, a key point of reference who helped shape the organisation’s communications and fundraising approach—an effort that led from music compilation albums featuring leading artists and sold in support of AIRC (1979–1981) to pioneering television formats such as RAI’s Storie al microscopio in 1995.
Guido Venosta and Pirelli: from the post-war period to retirement (1945–1977)
When things finally returned to normal, with the Pirelli brothers once again leading their company, Venosta was already a highly regarded senior executive. His command of English and familiarity with Anglo-Saxon customs, led him to pursue a career strongly shaped by international relations, culminating in 1956 with his appointment as General Manager (and later Managing Director) of Pirelli Ltd. After returning to Italy, he was placed in charge of the General Management of the Tyres Division, the backbone of Pirelli’s business, until 1970. He would conclude his career in 1977.
