Skip to main content

History

The oldest italian chocolate factory

1796

1796

1796

Everything started in Bologna’s city center, right next to the central Piazza Maggiore square, in a small “Laboratorio di Cose Dolci” (= “Laboratory of Sweet Things”). Here the two brothers, Francesco and Romualdo Majani, got hired by the then-owner of the shop and soon became the only bosses and developers of the business.
1830

1830

1830

Since business was flourishing, Francesco decided to buy a whole building in Via de’ Carbonesi in the city center, where they could live, produce chocolate and also sell it. This building is still where we have our historical shop today, and over the years it became an important gathering for the upper class and famous personalities such as Carducci, Marconi and D’Annunzio.
1856

1856

1856

Giuseppe Majani obtained a passport to travel across Italy, then divided into many small states, to purchase the most advanced machinery. So it was that the sign “Steam Factory of Sweets and Chocolate” could be hanged up outside of the building; a true innovation for that time. In fact, Majani was one of the first steam factories in Italy and was able, in the following years, to modernize even more.
1878

1878

1878

Majani became official supplier of the Royal House of Savoy, the Italian monarch family, who also granted the right to hang the royal stem on the shop’s sign and company logo. In the following years, the French and the Spanish royal houses granted the same right. All three stems are still present in Majani’s logo today.
1908

1908

1908

With the rise of Liberty style and the development of the company’s business, the family decided to build a whole new building in Via Indipendenza, in the heart of the city, with a tearoom, bar and shop. This soon became a hub for artists and aristocrats of the time. After World War II, the family was forced to sell the building but, to this day, it is still named and remembered as “Palazzina Majani” (= “Majani’s Palace”).
1978

1978

1978

The current factory was built, just outside Bologna. In 1985, Francesco Majani managed to save the company from bankruptcy by buying back all the shares that had been given to people outside of the family and thus becoming the only owner. Since then, Majani has always been a solid company, reflecting its history and values.

Today

To date, Majani counts 9 generations and has always been in the hands of the family since its founding 228 years ago. With passion, every day we create new products and try to innovate, firmly keeping the combination of tradition and modernity that has always distinguished us, to offer the excellence of Italian chocolate.

Logo

Evolution

Logo Majani
Logo Majani
Logo Majani
Logo Majani