Vanini 1871

The year 1871 marks the beginning of the history of the prestigious Vanini brand. The name Offelleria Arioli was changed to Offelleria San Carlo, after the Saint to whom the church opposite is dedicated. In 1904, Giuseppe’s eldest son succeeded his father in running the business. Giuseppe Vanini, popularly known as “ul sciur Pepo”, not only made a name for himself in Ticino, but also became well-known throughout Switzerland for the quality and originality of his sweets.

Thanks to the extraordinary talent of Giuseppe Vanini, the business grew up immensely. Soon he had clients amongst the Swiss people and many foreign tourists in Ticino. The reliability of the company and the quality of the chocolate gave Vanini a tremendous boost. The company now received orders from many European countries and even overseas - the delicacies from Lugano were soon known around the world. This allowed Vanini to expand its business, and in 1939 he openeed a restaurant in Piazza Riforma. It still exists today and bears the name Vanini “Dolce e Caffè”. Later followed by several other shops and “Cioccolaterie”.