ROCCHETTE 1 [IT]

Exploration #171. Lanificio Rossi (later abbreviated to Lanerossi) in Schio was one of the largest wool mills in Italy.
Lanerossi was founded in 1873, transforming Industrie Rossi, established in 1817 by Francesco Rossi, into a limited company. Rossi was originally from Santa Caterina di Lusiana and handed over the management of the wool mill to his son Alessandro Rossi in 1849, who over the years transformed it into one of Italy’s leading industries.
Piovene doubled its population, the only municipality in the Vicenza area and possibly the Veneto. It became richer: the first car in Italy circulated in Piovene. It was 1893 and the Peugeot 3 was purchased by Gaetano Rossi.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Lanificio Rossi was the largest Italian wool company, with numerous factories in the Vicenza area. The ‘Rocchette 1’ factory was built for a capacity of 12,000 spindles in 1869 on the right bank of the Astico torrent.
Despite this, due to wrong management choices and financial speculation, the Lanerossi group experienced a period of crisis after the mid-nineteenth century. In 1987 the company was taken over by its competitor Marzotto from nearby Valdagno, who, however, no longer invested in the Lanerossi brand. The various plants were gradually dismantled.