History of the Caprotti and Venosta families

The Caprotti family and their bones: ‘Family Tomb, Act II: High and straightforward’, 2009

In 2009, Manifattura Caprotti in Albiate closed. Although the factory has not belonged to The Caprotti family for a few years now, it is only natural that the mayor Filippo Viganò should turn to Bernardo to try to limit the heavy social impact that this closure will have on the town. Bernardo replied with a long letter, in which he briefly (but not unkindly) dismissed the Manifattura issue, to dwell on the much more serious problem of the cypress trees in Albiate's cemetery, which thoughtless gardeners are badly pruning, preventing them from growing 'tall and straight' as they should.

History of the Caprotti and Venosta families

Le Ossa dei Caprotti: the family tomb, act 1, 1997

In 1997, Dad and the brothers had not spoken for who knows how many years. A few days before Christmas, Bernardo kicks off what in time will turn into a veritable torment. In the Albiate cemetery, the family chapel is in need of urgent restoration because major water infiltrations are compromising both the structure and the coffins stored there. What is striking in the way Bernardo relates the events to Guido and Claudio is the meticulousness of the descriptions. He relates every detail with precision, not sparing them photographs of the battered and possibly open coffins, including that of their father Peppino.

History of the Caprotti and Venosta families

The Caprotti family and their bones: Milan, Chapel Sanctuary of San Bernardo Caprotti alle Ossa, 17th cent

When, as children, we get to spend some free time with our father, one of our favourite destinations is the 17th-century Oratory of San Bernardo alle Ossa, whose interior is decorated with hundreds of bones and skulls exhumed from the cemetery of the nearby Ospedale del Brolo arranged in niches, on the cornice, adorning the pillars, and decorating the doors. And this detail, which to the eyes and imagination of us children is rather macabre, impresses us greatly. Bones and cemeteries will be almost an obsession in Bernardo's life.

Food and Retail History History of Esselunga Local History

The Caprotti family and the Esselunga supermarkets: the Aprilia egg, 1950s

Nelson Rockefeller did not only ownEsselunga in Italy. He also owned a company, in Aprilia, that produced eggs.... In 1961, when by then all four of the planned Milanese shops had been opened, the balance sheet figures for the previous year - $200,000 net revenue - showed that not only the idea, but his way of realising it had been successful. Efficient logistics had been created, from the central warehouse to the purchase of large quantities of goods at favourable prices, but also a production chain of its own: IBEC took over a large poultry farm in Aprilia, the 'Chicken City', and turned it into a laying hen farm with an egg processing plant.

Food and Retail History History of Esselunga

The Caprotti family and the Esselunga supermarkets: the Americans’ pasta factory, c. 1950s.

With regard to the supply of certain fresh products, the problem was the lack of adequately prepared and controlled goods. This is why Esselunga decided to start producing on its own as early as 1959, setting up a bakery, an ice-cream parlour that sold its products even in winter, a coffee roasting plant, a cold cuts warehouse, a poultry farm to supply fresh eggs, but above all a large pasta factory for ravioli, tortellini and gnocchi, the success of which even excited the Americans, who were able to sell one of their favourite products, pasta, to Italians at excellent quality and 50% savings.

Food and Retail History History of Esselunga

The Caprotti family and supermarkets: the first Esselunga advertisements, 1957

In the context of the 'cold war' that divided the two great continental blocs of the United States (with their part of Europe) and the Soviet Union (with the other part of Europe), supermarket advertising was designed not only to lure customers with abundant goods, unknown delicacies and competitive prices, but also to emphasise, with slogans such as Shopping is equal for all, that private enterprise can also bring benefits to all levels of the social classes (and not only the public, notably communist).

Food and Retail History History of Esselunga

The Caprotti family and Esselunga: the first customers, 1957

The opening of the first supermarket was a remarkable success both in terms of public interest and in terms of prices, which were generally well below the average level by a good 15 to 20% depending on the products. Which all went generally well, except for self-service meat, which was initially a flop. It was only after many months of effort that the supermarket managed to persuade the Italian housewife to adapt to the do-it-yourself approach in this field as well.

History of Esselunga History of the Caprotti and Venosta families

The Caprotti family and the supermarket: Ferdinando Schiavoni, Mario Crespi and Bernardo Caprotti at the inauguration of the first shop in Milan, Viale Regina Giovanna, 1957

At the inauguration of Milan's and Italy's first supermarket, the Viale Regina Giovanna shop, one photograph among many shows two of the key figures who made it possible: Ferdinando Schiavoni, one of the not many English-speaking people in Italy, a link between IBEC managers and the Caprotti family, an early manager of what would later become Esselunga, and Mario Crespi, who with his brother Vittorio, Marco Brunelli and brothers Bernardo and Guido Caprotti was one of the Americans' main minority shareholders in what was the start of a great adventure.