History of the Caprotti and Venosta families

Giorgina Venosta’s friends: Gae Aulenti, Ettore Sottsass, Vittorio Gregotti

My mother Giorgina, who from 1977 to 1991 was the representative in Milan of the auction house Christie's, in charge of liaising with all the experts in the various sectors, and then an art expert with her own company, Consulenza d'Arte, which she founded in 1992 with two other partners, could only move well in the environment where the great architect-designers gravitated, forging friendships that lasted a lifetime.

History of the Caprotti and Venosta families

Giorgina Venosta’s friends: Pierluigi Cerri and Donatella Brustio in Cerri

Pierluigi Cerri, one of Italy's greatest architect-designers and winner of three Compasso d'Oro awards - the oldest and most prestigious design prize in the world - happily gravitated around the tables of the villa that my mother Giorgina and her second husband, Aldo Bassetti, owned on Lake Monate. Pierluigi had also married Donatella Brustio, a descendant of the family that was identified with La Rinascente for decades (she herself worked there from a very young age), and a close friend of my mother's. She was a very sweet woman and, like all Giorgina's friends, strong and resourceful. Her death in 2016 left a great void.

History of the Caprotti and Venosta families

My mother’s friends, Giorgina Venosta: Lina Sotis and Silvia Tofanelli

Lina Sotis, journalist, writer, protagonist and narrator of Milanese society She and Giorgina were also close friends of Silvia Tofanelli, the protagonist, according to Lina, of one of the most beautiful love stories with the equally desirable Filippo Rusca, whom she married and with whom she continued that glittering affair until his death last June 2024.

History of Italy History of the Caprotti and Venosta families

The Caprotti family and sport: Uncle Luigi Venosta called Gigi, hockey and medals

Luigi Venosta, called Gigi, my grandfather's second brother, was 'the most popular Italian player' of ice hockey in the 1930s, as 'La Gazzetta dello Sport' described him, wearing among other things the Azzurri jersey for more than twenty games. During the war he was an aviator, and earned a silver medal in the field. In the photo, Gigi Venosta is last in the back, in the breakaway, wearing the dark jersey.

History of Esselunga History of the Caprotti and Venosta families Local History

A journey into the memory of the Caprotti family and Manifattura Caprotti

This project stems from the desire to preserve the historical memory of Manifattura Caprotti, which has represented much more than a company: it has been the beating heart of the entire Albiate community, a symbol of innovation and dedication, and has represented the family’s industrial roots, which later led to the acquisition of a majority stake in Esselunga