History

Born in a family of charcoal burners and woodcutters from the Valganna area, Francesco Maglia left his home in search of work at the early age of 14. In 1850 he began his career as an umbrella apprentice in an umbrella factory in Montechiari, in the province of Brescia.

In 1854 Francesco Maglia entered as partner in a small umbrella factory in Verolanuova and later moved to Pavia where he started up his own business.

In 1876 the firm moved to Corso Genova 7 in Milan and remained there until 2003, the year it moved to via Ripamonti 194. In August 1943 the business was moved to Como for about two years, as the company was rebuilt after being bombarded along with a large part of the city centre. The Maglia family has always manufactured umbrellas, parasols and straw hats (hat production ended in 1923).

By tradition, there has always been a son named Francesco, and the current owners are in fact Giorgio Maglia and his son Francesco who together represent the fifth and sixth generations active in the company.

A Good Umbrella

The impractical practicality of modern life is great, but some things just can’t be improved on. Each umbrella is special; no two are identical.

Francesco Maglia, being more than a century old artisanal brand, has always been committed to creating products that are meant to last, not only in terms of durability but also with timeless style. Each and every Francesco Maglia Umbrella represents the long years of perfected techniques portrayed into thoughtfully handcrafted pieces, not shy of the finest products Italy has to offer.

The ingenious use of natural materials such as precious types of wood and horn or antler, combined with turned metals such as brass and the constant search for new fabrics make the Francesco Maglia umbrellas a product with low environmental impact. The brand’s aim has always been to improve its product without neglecting the historical dictates of production and with respect to the environment.