Our story

#

1876

The Savinelli story begins in 1876 when Achille Savinelli Sr. opened one of the first shops in the world in the center of Milan that exclusively sold items for smokers, in Via Orefici at no. 2 on the corner with Piazza Duomo, the heart of Milan. This small shop, which still exists today, quickly became a meeting place where passionate smokers could exchange ideas and experiences.

It was there that Savinelli Sr. began designing pipes which were then produced by artisans from Varese. In that period a radical change occurred in the world of pipes: briar pipes began to establish themselves, an improvement compared to traditional foam and clay pipes. At the same time as the opening of the Milan shop, the Achille brothers moved to Genoa to also open a shop selling smoking items in the Galleria Mazzini.

1881

In 1881 Achille Savinelli Sr. exhibited his articles at the Exhibition Industriale Italiana, the forerunner of the Milan Fair, demonstrating with this initiative an entrepreneurial vocation that has been handed down to subsequent generations. From January 1890, Achille, Carlo Savinelli's son took over and managed the shop for more than 50 years. He developed excellent relationships with customers, thanks also to his innate skills as a psychologist, and was always able to recommend the right product, suited to the needs of each smoker.

1918

In 1918 Achille Junior was born. The young Achille specialized in the small workshop in the back of the shop: while his parents looked after the customers, Achille Jr. he preferred to stay and work in the back room, inventing and drawing. Unfortunately, however, at the outbreak of the Second World War he had to interrupt his apprenticeship with pipes to complete five years of military service.

Returning from the war, Achille found marketing alone not enough satisfactory, and therefore decided to leave his father's shop to produce his own pipes. It was an important decision for the young Achille, who wanted to continue and improve the family tradition. His concern was this: why were the best-selling pipes in Italy of foreign production when the best briar was found in our territory?

This consideration pushed him to start his own production with quality characteristics that had until then been unthinkable for an Italian product. And his confidence in his own abilities combined with a pinch of national pride proved to be a winning idea. He immersed himself in the development of the company, and with the help of his friends Amleto Pomè and Mario Vettoruzzo, he started the new company in the Varese area, in Molina di Barasso.

1948

In 1948 he opened the factory, and Savinelli pipes began to gain prestige in all markets. Before the factory opened, millions of pipes had been exported from Italy, but the quality of these pipes was quite low. When Achille Jr. started the factory, many people wondered how an Italian could compete with much better known foreign brands. However, Achille managed to create a luxury product that could compete with the big names and even surpass their quality, so much so that today Savinelli represents the highest quality standard of the pipe in the world.

OGGI

Achille was capable of harmonizing imagination and good taste, obtaining a purity of lines of which he was rightly proud. It was his spirit that gave the pipes their personality: a pleasant balance of shape and style. His imagination and sophistication have undoubtedly been passed on to the Savinelli of today, Giancarlo, who continues where Achille left off.

Giancarlo is now in charge of the company, and has brought new energy and fresh ideas to Savinelli. Grandson of the original founder, Giancarlo carries out the delicate work of modernizing the company while keeping its heritage and tradition intact. The history of dedication to quality therefore remains the Savinelli philosophy, which is going into the second century of its existence always guided by the same family.