1881, in the province of Lecco, in Colico to be precise. This was the year of Osvaldo Cariboni’s birth, the first son of Giovanni Cariboni, the owner of the “Sport” hotel and workshop.

Osvaldo completed his studies in 1902, graduating as a head mechanic, and then began working in the company Ganz in Budapest, at the time one of the largest multinationals in the sector. In that period, the Hungarian giant was working on the construction of the electrified Lecco-Colico railway line, with branches to Sondrio and Chiavenna. 

His job at Ganz

In Ganz, it didn’t take long for Osvaldo Cariboni to get himself noticed. The management considered him to be a particularly skilled technician, so much so that in 1904 the company sent him first to the United States and then to Canada, involving him in important electrification works overseas. He returned to Italy in 1908. His experience with Ganz was over, at least as an employee, although for a number of years he maintained a close relationship of collaboration with the Hungarian company that was evidence of long-lasting mutual respect. 

The workshop in Colico and the founding of Cariboni

Having completed his experience overseas, it was time for Osvaldo Cariboni to find his own place in the family business in Colico, his hometown, where he set up the production of accessories for electric lines. These products were characterised by important innovations, partially thanks to what he had learned from his previous experiences. This led to the founding of the company Cariboni. That workshop in Colico was the starting point of a company that over the years has demonstrated a capacity for the design and manufacture of innovative products. In 1965, following the entry into the company of the third generation and the acquisition of F.I.R, the Fabbrica Italiana Riflettori Gariboldi of Milan, at the time considered to be the leading Italian company in the lighting sector, Cariboni Illuminazione was founded. That period saw the beginning of the significant development of the lighting sector initially under the guidance of Pio and then under that of Dante and Elisa following Pio’s untimely death.