Chamber of Commerce: eight historic Rome companies honoured for over a century of innovation and tradition

In 1997 the bookshop moved to Via della Conciliazione 2, in a more strategic and visible location and, in the same year, the management of the business passed into the hands of Filippo, Giancarlo's son and representative of the fourth generation of the Coletti family. Today, the bookshop is run by Giancarlo Coletti, vice-president of the Italian Booksellers Association for Central Italy, and continues to distinguish itself for its commitment to cultural and religious dissemination.

Founded in 1882, SIB (Società Italiana Brevetti) is a leading European firm specialising in advising and protecting intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, designs, utility models, plant novelties and copyright, operating both nationally and internationally.

SIB assists clients in defending their rights against counterfeiting, usurpation and unfair competition by offering comprehensive legal advice. Clients include small and medium-sized enterprises, large corporations, universities, research centres, start-ups and business consultants. The team, led by Fabrizio De Benedetti, President of the company based in Piazza di Pietra (Rome), is composed of qualified patent, trademark and IP law consultants with specialised technical expertise.

Since its origins, Tebro - Biancheria since 1867, has distinguished itself as one of the most exclusive textile warehouses in Rome, supplying, under the leadership of Cav. Mario Pizzolato, prestigious institutions such as the Royal Household, the Quirinale, Palazzo Chigi, the Vatican City, foreign embassies in Italy, Italian diplomatic offices abroad and important families in central and southern Italy.

Over the years, the purchasing group has grown to include about 40 of the most important shops in the sector, consolidating a high-level commercial and production network. In 2008, the company was one of the founders of the Associazione dei Negozi Storici e di Eccellenza di Roma (Rome's Association of Historic and Excellent Shops), taking on its presidency. Today, the association brings together the most historic commercial realities of the Capital, i.e. those that have been active for at least 70 years in the same premises and managed by the same family for at least three generations, thus enhancing the city's cultural and entrepreneurial heritage.

The history of Baiani Snc began in 1846 with the arrival in Rome of the founder of the family, Pietro Baiani. It was Pietro's grandchildren, particularly Orlando, who became passionate about the goldsmith's art at the age of 10: a passion that, in a short time, turned into a real profession with the opening, at the beginning of the 20th century, of the first goldsmith's workshop in what is now Piazza Navona. Three generations of goldsmiths who, over the years, have been able to represent, with continuity and commitment, the tradition of craftsmanship and Made in Italy, always holding high the Baiani name, today among the most important historical entrepreneurial realities in the city of Rome.

The history of Trimani Srl began in 1821 with Francesco Trimani, in a small shop in Via di Panico, in the heart of Rome, the first location of the business, which, in 1876, settled permanently in Via Goito 20, making Trimani the oldest wine shop in the city.

For almost two centuries, the company has steadily evolved from tavern to specialised sales outlet - with over 6,000 references including Italian and international wines, champagnes, spirits, beers and gourmet products - and has become one of the most important wine shops in Italy.

In 1991, the offer was expanded with the opening of Trimani Il Wine Bar in Via Cernaia 37/b, the first venue in Italy to call itself a 'wine bar', helping to launch a new concept of wine-centred catering.

Founded in 1883 by Adriano Frioli, the Adriano Frioli Marmi workshop has its roots in the prestigious Roman artisan tradition and, for over 140 years, the activity has been handed down from generation to generation within the same family, keeping alive the values of craftsmanship and attention to detail. Each work is born in the wake of a centuries-old history of passion, expertise and deep respect for stone. Over the years, the workshop has been able to keep tradition alive while embracing innovation, equipping itself with modern technologies, including two numerically controlled pantographs that today allow the creation of customised and precise marble works, capable of responding to every aesthetic and functional need. The workshop has maintained its historic headquarters in Piazzale del Verano 70/71 (Rome).

Avio Spa's origins date back to Giovanni Agnelli and Guido Fornaca, who, during the First World War, founded the Società Italiana Aviazione (Italian Aviation Company), which later became Fiat's Aviation Section (1918). After the conflict, the company dedicated itself to civil aircraft, achieving numerous world firsts and expanding production with new plants in the 1920s and 1930s, including the Ansaldo plant in Turin and the CMASA in Marina di Pisa. After the Second World War, Fiat Aviazione developed innovative models and collaborated with NATO and Alfa Romeo Avio (Finmeccanica). In 1989, the company became Fiat Avio, working with Boeing and Airbus. Today Avio, based in Colleferro (Rome), is a leader in space propulsion and manufacturer of the Vega rockets. The skills and experience accumulated allow Avio to compete with the main players in the field of solid and liquid propulsion for space launchers and tactical military missiles.

The Maison Bertoletti was founded in Rome in 1882 by the Piedmontese Francesco Bertoletti and soon became a benchmark of Italian haute couture in the fur sector. Despite the difficulties of wartime, the company consolidated its reputation and, in the 1950s, opened up to the international market. Under the leadership of Alessandro Bertoletti, it joined the National Chamber of Italian Fashion in 1968 and in 1984 his great-grandson Francesco Bertoletti (Kekko DJ) took over the management, signing his first collection in 1988 and later, in 2004, launching the brand 'Bertoletti Alta Moda Italiana 1882', a symbol of craftsmanship and Made in Italy. Today, the company is active in the Origin Assured, Fur Free and Furmark projects, promoting sustainability, recycling and ethical traceability in the production chain.

The Chamber of Commerce of Rome also presented the President of the Lazio Region, Francesco Rocca, with the 'Rome Award for Made in Italy' as proof of his great commitment to supporting and enhancing the productive realities of our territory. "Made in Italy' is not just an indication of origin. It is much more: it is a concept that encapsulates the very idea of 'Italian culture'. Whoever buys 'Made in Italy' does not just buy a product, but the expression of a lifestyle. With this award, at its second edition, the Chamber of Commerce of Rome intends to recognise the constant commitment of the Institutions to enhance the activities of our enterprises on foreign markets.