Safilo Group, the fully integrated Italian eyewear creator, manufacturer and worldwide
distributor of quality and trust, celebrates 140 years of eyewear manufacturing tradition which dates back to the foundation of its very first Italian manufacturing site dedicated to eyewear.

It was in 1878 that a manufacturing site was first opened to produce lenses and frames in Calalzo di Cadore, in the Venetian Alps. The Safilo name dates back to 1934, when Guglielmo Tabacchi bought this first Italian production site and founded a new eyewear company, making it the oldest player in the Italian eyewear industry.

As a manufacturing company that bases its values on tradition, excellence, savoir-faire and innovation, Safilo is building precisely on this legacy, fostering the incredible craftsmanship and technical innovations of its highly skilled artisans, expanding its advanced in-house manufacturing capabilities and introducing groundbreaking technologies that pave the
way for the company’s sustainable future growth.

Celebrating 140 years of eyewear tradition reflects the corporate objective of preserving and enhancing Safilo’s traditional savoir-faire while emphasizing ties with the region where this same tradition was born. It also means acknowledging the incredible range of craft skills preserved by the artisans working with passion and dedication behind every single pair of glasses. These skills will only survive if they live in each generation; they provide a link to the company’s roots and are part of Safilo’s shared heritage which is now projected into the future thanks to Safilo’s Eyewear Product School, a three-year apprenticeship program – launched in 2014 – offering on the job training that will secure the further sustainability of this unique mastering of Italian manufacturing traditions.

As a commitment to craftsmanship and innovation – past, present, and future – Safilo, in fact, established its very first Eyewear Product School based on the northern European model of apprenticeship schools. With the creation of the Product School, Safilo recognizes its great responsibility to train a new generation of expert artisans, share know-how
and preserve the culture, techniques and passion for eyewear, all in the name of Made in Italy.

The same purpose is perpetuated by Galleria Safilo, the virtual museum exclusively dedicated to eyewear history which highlights the role of Safilo Group as the historical industry leader and founder of the Italian eyewear manufacturing tradition. Safilo also owns one of the world’s most important private collections dedicated to eyewear.