1898: while in Milan General Bava Beccaris, authorized by Prime Minister Di Rudinì, uses cannons against the crowd protesting in Milan for the lack of bread, causing carnage (and for this he will receive an honor from King Umberto I, so lest we forget), and while Guglielmo Marconi deposited the radio patent; in the southwestern end of the province of Lecco, in the quiet Casatenovo, Francesco Vismara laid the foundations of a small entrepreneurial activity of pork slaughtering, destined to become one of the companies that will mark the history of the made in Italy of Italian delicatessen.
Over the years, many iconic products, one above all Vismarissima, the Italian mortadella par excellence, have accompanied entire generations of Italians at the table, linking the history of Vismara to the daily life of many families of loyal consumers, with the background of the historic Carosello which recited “I have a hunger that I see…Vismara”.
A history of firsts, from the landing in Carosello in 1960 which caused the sale of products to increase exponentially, to the great innovation of food trays, which ensured lasting freshness of the product: in 1970 Vismara was the first industry to launch them on the market.
The employees had an “Ape Industrious” attire, which later became the symbol of the workers. On the wall just past the entrance to the Casatenovo factory, the inscription dominated: “A provident, industrious bee rests only at sunset”. Vismara became a symbol of Lombard industriousness and certainly the constant growth of the company represented a determining factor for the economic development of the whole area. Working in Vismara meant a safe job. Life in the factory didn't displease anyone.
As just recognition of an exemplary history of Italian entrepreneurship now comes the decision of the Ministry of Economic Development to register the VISMARA brand in the special register of "historical brands of national interest".
Satisfaction for this "important signal" was expressed by the marketing director of the Ferrarini Group, Claudio Rizzi "The role that the Vismara brand has played in the Italian industrial history, and in particular in the development of the sector, is undeniable."
“Already at the beginning of the last century the company, first in Italy, industrialized the processes of transforming meat into products that have always been linked to the agri-food culture of our country, managing to maintain the genuineness of the aromas and flavors of our land and at the same time to guarantee quality, hygiene and safety, teaching the other operators in the sector, when Vismara technicians were called throughout Italy to "teach" the workers of other producers and to provide consultancy for opening new factories."
“A story - concludes Rizzi - which intertwines with that of a golden age for the affirmation of Made in Italy in the world, as a synonym of quality, taste, culture and creativity, values which are perfectly embodied in the our historic brand.
For the record, in 1987 the company was sold to Buitoni which shortly thereafter passed the baton to Nestlé which in turn sold it to the Ferrarini group in 2000 which thus brought the historic brand back within national borders.
