Historical companies and brands, 93 billion turnover: half comes from Lombardy
The register shows a marked manufacturing prevalence, with 88% of the companies belonging to industrial production sectors. In particular, the '4 A's of Made in Italy' stand out: Agrifood-Wines, Clothing-Fashion, Furniture-Household and Automotive-Mechanics
by Lorenzo Pace
Key points
The value of Italy's historic companies continues to grow, albeit at different speeds across the country. Total turnover reached EUR 93.6 billion in 2025, with Lombardy accounting for 49.1% of the total, or EUR 46 billion. This is nine times the figure for the entire South (including the Islands), which stands at 4.8 billion. Or almost fifty times that of Lazio.
These are the companies that hold historic trademarks, issued by the Ministry of Enterprise. Last March, there were a thousand of them, and yesterday, the association of Historic Brands of Italia presented a report with details on turnover. The day, on the other hand, was dedicated to Made in Italy, with hundreds of events organised in the country. Historical Brands are 'a fundamental piece of that identity that is recognised to us in the world' for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni - who spoke in a video message - and are 'a great economic engine of the country' according to Minister Adolfo Urso.
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Growing phenomenon
In general, the phenomenon is growing. Since the introduction of the 2020 Register, almost 200 companies have applied every year. The number of employees has thus exceeded 360,000. The study shows the prevalence of manufacturing, which is worth 88% of the historic companies, and in particular of agribusiness. Companies in the sector had a turnover of 53.7 billion. The majority (61%) came from agricultural and food products. Then, a quarter (about 13 billion) from wines and spirits. Finally, the rest was divided between coffee companies (8%) and water and beverages (5%).
A company, in Lombardy, has an average turnover of 204 million (in Lazio 23 million)
Business volumes, however, differ between territories. It is not just a question of quantity: in Lombardy, for example, there are 226 historic companies and their total turnover was 46 billion. In Lazio, there are 44 companies, but turnover has barely exceeded one billion. Translated: the average turnover per company was 204 million in Lombardy and 23 million in Lazio.
The podium is completed by other northern regions, namely Veneto (17.4 billion) and Emilia Romagna (16.8 billion). In the South there is Campania in the lead: turnover reached 2.5 billion thanks to 27 historic companies (the average per company was 93 million).
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