Carapelli (Carapelli Firenze SpA) is an Italian food company, since 2005 owned by Spanish multinational Deoleo, S.A, based in Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, which is a small town in the Metropolitan City of Florence, most famous for its extra virgin olive oil. The company was started as a home business in 1893 by Cesira and Costantino Carapelli. Other members of the Carapelli family joined the business and the company rapidly grew in size and popularity, to become the most modernised food company in Italy by the 1940s. Today, Carapelli Firenze SpA is the leading Italian extra virgin olive oil company (with brand such as Carapelli, Sasso, Maya) where 30% of its production is exported to Europe and the Americas.
History
1893: The Beginning
On 23 September 1893, the day of their wedding, Cesira & Constantino Carapelli founded the family business with her dowry. With 300 lire the couple bought a warehouse in Montevarchi to trade in grain, oil and other agricultural produce
1939-40: Post War
On the eve of war, the Carapelli family set up the most modern wheat mill of the time just outside Florence, in Ponte a Ema. Right next to it they also built the first oil-pressing factory. The war and bombardments that destroyed everything did little to curb their efforts and their will to succeed.