Zanotti Family History
Little is known about Candido’s sons Stefano and Pietro. Pietro had sons Tomaso, who became a friar, and Cassiano II who continued the gun shop activity. And after him the family production concentrated on shotguns with locks comprised of a flint stone, flash pan and hammer that were exceptionally well finished. Cassiano Zanotti II died in 1786 leaving two sons, Francesco and Giuseppe who continued family production. Francesco had three sons Stefano, Cassiano and Pietro and the family obtained high rewords for its work from the Pope who at the time reigned with an iron hand in a steel glove over the territory. During this time the production of “Florentine” locks began. In these locks the flash pan has a metal cover actuated by a lever system located inside the lock itself. Cassiano died while serving in Napoleon’s Grand Army and his Russian folly, either at the battle of Beresina or the rout that followed. This left Francesco and Pietro to carry on the family business. Pietro’s sons continue the family business. Leopoldo specializes in making barrels. Edoardo is an engraver and Giovanni as a locksmith specialist. Giovanni will later be the first family member to relocate his activity to Farrara just outside the Bruciata complex. The youngest of Pietro’s sons, Giacinto, opened a shop in Bologna around 1861 and he will become the most famous in the family. Bologna Family Branch Giacinto’s shop was engulfed in milling machines, instruments and hardware. It is said that the handrail on the stairs was made out of a giant arquebus barrel waiting for restoration. Among the modern guns of the period were over and under barreled pistols with a single trigger featuring a twin hammer and double locks. From Giacinto’s innovating ideas was born the most famous of Zanotti arms: a four barreled shotgun with a single trigger for King Vittorio Emanuele. The gun was built in 1863 and is currently contained in the King’s armory. A second gun, the only other existing, is in the private collection of Dr. Renato Zanotti. Sons Pirro, Maria and Stefano continue the family tradition when in 1871 the first center fire rifles began to appear. The Lancaster system based shotguns appeared in 1853. These well tested guns were included in the production and business grew so much that Bologna became the main plant. The young Tornaso, son of Edoardo and Glacinto’s nephew joined the crew and became the most famous craftsman in the family. He remained in Bruciata and returned to Bologna only to inspect the finest British shotguns arriving in the shop from various customers. During this time the Zanotti abandoned pistol manufacturing to concentrate their efforts uniquely on shotguns. The shotguns of this period are almost entirely made with round shape sidelocks, Damascus barrels, side opening lever and long stride hammers. The Baschieri & Pellagri ammunition plant developed smokeless powder. The improved powder required that the Zanottis build stronger locks and barrels into their guns. The collaboration between Baschieri & Pellagri and Zanotti made this area the most technologically advanced in Italy, at least regarding gun technology. During this time Stefano went to Belgium where he studied the art of engraving from the master of the time, Alphonse Delvenne. While there, Stefano became friends with Alphonse’s best engraver, Hyppolite Corombelle. Back in Bologna, Giacinto was awarded the King’s Chivalry Order and the Danilo of Montenegro Order as reward for the construction of a couple of shotguns donated to the King. Therefore Giacinto is authorized to show the King’s emblems on his official letterhead. Stefano returned to Bologna to continue shotgun production. He sent all his engraving work to Hyppolite Corombelle in Belgium. It was during this period that some of the best Zanotti ideas, now protected by trademark, were developed including the second class lever at the locks and the link between the safety and the opening bar. Production was interrupted during World War I due to most of the armory’s craftsmen being drafted into service. During the war only five shotguns leave the shop and production is forcefully converted to the war effort and most of this time is spent repairing rifles for the army. After the war, production surged again. New milling machines are bought and put into operation. Finally the world famous engravers Hippolite and Lyson Corombelle transferred their operation to Bologna. Production continued full tilt until the death of Stefano and after that the family business went into a declining period until the shop was closed. In 1932 Stefano’s nephew, Tomaso, re-opened the shop and Fabio Zanotti soon followed in the business. Under their direction another art piece was born, a side by side shotgun with extractors and cam actuated internal hammers. This was the first Italian hammerless gun ever made. The world famous armorer Francotte, after being shown the gun drawing, deemed it as “impossible to be built”. He was to be proven wrong. Renato, the last
of the Zanotti branch in Bologna, died in 1975 and at his death his
legacy would be destined to oblivion if not for the efforts of the
youngest of his shop boys of the time, Giorgio Simoni. Giorgio decided
to give it a try and took over the shop. Now with his son Andrea he
is continuing production as a Master Armorer using the very same techniques
established by the Zanotti family.
|