Roberto Rancilio was born in Parabiago on 23 April 1896. He spent his youth in this small town just outside Milan, breathing in the sense of optimism and confidence that permeated society at the beginning of the 1900s. The atmosphere of the Belle Époque was waning, however. The outbreak of World War I left an indelible mark on the lives of people everywhere, and when Roberto was drafted, the Rancilio family was also deeply affected. In March 1916, Roberto reached the front. He was injured on 15 May during a firefight and was discharged with a badge of honor. After the war, Italy entered a state of feverish euphoria. It dreamed of restarting, and laughed and cried at the cinema with the films of Charlie Chaplin, Rodolfo Valentino and Greta Garbo. Despite widespread poverty and the deaths still being mourned, everyone wanted to forget the past and begin again. Roberto was convinced that coffee would soon take over Italy, and he strongly believed that the success of meeting places where it could be enjoyed in the company of others would continue to grow. It was the moment to transform this intuition into a fully-fledged business activity.

In 1927, at the workshop in Parabiago, Roberto built his first coffee machine piece by piece. The result was La Regina, a mechanical work of art. Having understood the importance of having his products associated with a recognizable logo, Roberto immediately designed the ‘double R’ logo, which still appears on all Rancilio products today.

The Officina Meccanica Roberto Rancilio officially began operations in 1930. The next year, Roberto introduced three new models of coffee machine – the Ottagonale, the Graziosa and the Invicta – and he filed new patents.

During World War II, Roberto was forced to suspend production of his coffee machines. To keep the workshop running, however, he converted the business to the production of milling, stamping and spinning machines.

Immediately after the war, Roberto Rancilio started melting down metal parts and pieces of howitzers to restart his business. During the same period and in much the same way – i.e. by reusing military materials and designs – the Piaggio Vespa was invented, and quickly became a symbol of Italy’s rebirth.

On his 60th birthday, on 4 January 1956 Roberto Rancilio passed away at his home in Parabiago. Not only did the company lose its founder and owner, but more importantly, it lost a man capable of involving everyone, with an authentic passion, in his human and professional adventure. His wife and three sons continued to this day to expand the company to where it is today.