04 May Brescia and its role in the production of socks
Legend and tradition say that the first socks made their appearance in Mesopotamia.
The contemporary chronicle, on the other hand, brings the center of production to the Po Valley: in the surroundings of Oglio, Mincio and Po, knitting is an activity that dates back to the 16th century.
In the Mantuan countryside, the women’s hosiery industry developed as the main alternative to working in the fields; the producers of men’s socks are concentrated in the Brescia area.
Many villages have gradually become a reference point for hosiery throughout Europe: Castelgoffredo, Botticino, Castiglione delle Stiviere, Quinzano, Orzinuovi and many other towns already offered fashionable and affordable socks at the beginning of the twentieth century.
At that time Brescia, my city, appeared modern and equipped with services and infrastructures in step with the times such as a new aqueduct, the ice factory, electric lighting and electric tramways. It was in this urban context that new and renowned factories emerged such as Franchi-Griffin, Wuhrer, Metallurgica Bresciana, Fraschini & Porta and Togni.
The Lonati Group also originated here, created by Francesco Lonati in 1945.
At the beginning, the company dedicated itself exclusively to the production of circular machines for men’s and children’s socks (single cylinder), allowing the founder and his very few collaborators to acquire growing technical experience.
Francesco Lonati is a great example of Brescia entrepreneurship in the hosiery sector, he was an industry captain from Brescia and was able to establish himself worldwide in the production of sock machines starting from scratch.
The famous entrepreneur from Brescia is the architect of absolute world leadership in the field of hosiery machinery.
In my city, Brescia, I took my steps in the hosiery industry, where I now find myself proposing complete creative, production and commercial projects to my clients.
This is how I find myself right at the center of this production wave which, over the last thirty years, has created half of the European production of socks.
Brescia and the other cities of northern Italy have been able to establish themselves on the market with great technical skills and knowledge of materials, as well as with specialized machines then sold all over the world.
My projects made in Brescia in the socks sector reach Canada, Japan, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and many other wonderful areas: designing lines of high quality Italian socks that will be marketed all over the world it is a great pride every day.