History of the Caprotti and Venosta families Local History

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.

Food and Retail History History of Esselunga History of Italy History of the Caprotti and Venosta families In the spotlight 2 Local History

The Caprotti family: from textiles – with Manifattura – to Esselunga

The Caprotti story begins with Antonio del fu Giovanni Battista (1685). The family’s origins lie in agriculture and textiles, until 2009 when, partly due to a sharp drop in orders, the company’s top management decided to close the Manifattura after more than 179 years of activity. In the meantime, the Caprotti family took part in the founding of Esselunga in 1957

History of the Caprotti and Venosta families Local History

The Caprotti family: Anna Zanchi Morpurgo, 1949

On the day of the car accident that killed him, grandfather Peppino was not alone. At his side sat a woman he had been seeing for a couple of years, and he suffered very serious injuries. I only discovered much later that her name was Anna Z., and we knew her well. A series of photographic portraits immortalising her beauty are preserved in the archives of the Braidense Library in Milan.

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

Bernardo Caprotti of Giuseppe and contributions for Giuseppe Garibaldi

Bernardo’s irredentist sympathies can be confirmed by the receipt of the Italian Unitarian Association to which, on 16 November 1859, he paid 100 lira to purchase rifles proposed by Giuseppe Garibaldi for the ‘national cause’. The sum, however, while certainly not low, is prudent: only 100 lira. The money, the real money, is destined for business.

History of the Caprotti and Venosta families Local History

Bernardo Caprotti’s Carlo Caprotti: advice from Africa to his nephew at war

Now elderly and retired from business, Carlo alternated between stays in Italy and several months in Africa, residing in Algiers. In 1914, the outbreak of the Great War stopped him there, but he regularly received letters from his nephew Peppino, son of his daughter Bettina and his brother Beppo’s eldest son Bernardo, a telegraph operator in Parma.