THE BUILDING
Il Palazzo CamperioMANFREDO CAMPERIO
“A Conspirator, soldier of freedom, an explorer. One of the first to appreciate the splendours of Italy and tireless in pursuing prosperity in Africa and in the Far East”. This is the description of Manfredo Camperio that is found on the plaque on the wall of the building of the hotel.
MANFREDO CAMPERIO / 2
The tenth and last child of Carlo and Francesca Ciani, Manfredo Camperio was born in Milan on 30 October 1826. Home-schooled under the so-called “English method”, he joined the military and was proclaimed a patriot (in 1848 he was arrested and deported to Linz). He was also a geographer, after Italian unity he advocated the commercial and colonial expansion of the country. He established the “Società di Esplorazione Commerciale” (Commercial Exploration Society) in Africa and founded the magazine “L’Esploratore”.
MANFREDO CAMPERIO / 3
There are no photographs or portraits of Manfredo Camperio. This is rather surprising considering his turbulent life and his work, he went from being a deported subversive to a patriotic soldier to Member of Parliament, from explorer to businessman.
The bust that welcomes guests on their arrival at the hotel reception is probably of him. He could be only a legend, the fruit of guests’ imaginations, stimulated by the rooms of the building.
TRADITION, QUALITY AND STYLE SINCE 1911
Lesley Severgnini established Camperio as the brand name of hospitality in all its versions: Camperio Suites&Apartments, Basement Restaurant&Cafè, Olimagio Agriturismo, Chalet Chesarina. A destiny, that of hospitality and travel, that is in the family DNA.
There have been members of the Bertarelli family in Milan since 1795. Luisa Maria Bertarelli married Guido Severgnini in 1940. The Bertarellis are a family of industrialists whose characteristic feature is curiosity and a love of life, which can be seen from Achille Bertarelli’s collection of prints, over one million pictures stored today at Sforza Castle, as well as the fact that Luigi Vittorio Bertarelli headed Touring Club Italiano for its first 30 years. He established the historical Guide Rosse (Red Guides) which encouraged the idea of travel as discovery and the knowledge of the environment in which we live. Also worthy of mention is Guido Bertarelli, one of the founders of CAI – Club Alpino Italiano and a defender of Alpine shelters during the German occupation of WW2.
The Severgnini family traced its origins from Caravaggio before their arrival in Milan at the end of the XIXth century, and have been concerned with administration and finance since 1911. In 1992 the head office of the family business moved to the building in via Camperio 9. That part of the building that had been destroyed during WW2 was rebuilt during the 1960s.
It was here that Lesley, Mario Achille’s daughter and granddaughter of Guido and Luisa, with great enthusiasm and a little recklessness, diversified
