In his hometown, San Giovanni di Bellagio, the enterprising Giovanni opened his first workshop in 1866. Originally, the company made boats on commission for fishermen and for transport vessels. At the end of the 19th century, Lake Como was the site of a large number of operations linked to the nautical world, at a time when there were neither motor vehicles nor roads. With the various types of tra
ffic on the lake – merchant shipping, military operations and, later, tourist excursions – it was possible to see boats of every imaginable which, was the scene of much more marine activity than those of the present time.Giovanni Cranchi, the father of Aldo and grandson of the founder, Giovanni, bought a factory in Brienno which had earlier belonged to a dyeworks that went bankrupt, and went on to transform it into a boatyard, where he built his first vessels. He had a true passion for quality and a job well done, with cleverly designed lines, great care dedicated to the selection of the materials, meticulous operating techniques and impeccable finishing, all contributing to make his boats truly unique. The events linked to the war years forced Giovanni to leave Italy until 1952. When he returned, he resumed production together with his children, and most of the vessels produced by the Cantiere Giovanni Cranchi up to the sixties were the work of his son, Aldo. In the 1960’s the Brienno boatyard began the series production of wooden models, including TAUNUS, FASTER, SBARAZZINO, the DINGHY 12 P and a number of sailing vessels. As time passed, and with the introduction of new materials, the structure of the lake began to be too limited for the projects Aldo Cranchi had in mind, which involved the transformation of the traditional craft production into a more modern, industrial reality. In these years, thanks to the efforts of Aldo, the concept of design as we know it today began to emerge. In 1970, exactly a century after the yard was opened, it had become essential to expand, to give a new impulse to production. As there was no room for further expansion on the lake, Aldo Cranchi identified the nearby Valtellina as the ideal place to base his new operations. Aldo Cranchi, who represents the 4th generation, set up the company in Piantedo in 1970 with Tullio Monzino, and from that time onwards the management structure has remained unchanged.
