Ancient Roots
The history of the Russo Morosoli family represents an important chapter in the story of Catania and Mount Etna.
A narrative that dates back to 1550, with Don Vincenzo Russo, a royal notary, a distinguished and wealthy man residing in the town of Paternò.
Over the centuries, the family included royal notaries, notaries, lawyers and clergymen from Paternò, but no entrepreneurs.
The Breakthrough
The turning point came with His Excellency Gioacchino Russo in 1865, an illustrious scientist of international renown, who held the positions of Undersecretary of State, General of the Royal Navy, Senator of the Kingdom, Director of the Venice Arsenal, and National President of the Order of Engineers.
He was the author of the first Italian treatise on naval architecture, still in use today in military academies.
The young Gioacchino’s education was entrusted to the strict supervision of his uncle (also named Gioacchino Russo), Reverend Canon of the Cathedral of Catania, who quickly recognized his talent. His inventions brought him prominence in the chronicles of the time.
His extraordinary intellect led to the creation of the first color camera, the submarine periscope, the navipendulum, and the elastic-walled tank for the scaled reproduction of wave motion (a device that made it possible to test a ship’s behavior among the waves without having to build it, an achievement that earned him victory at the International Competition of London).
These patents brought great distinction to the family, both in terms of prestige and financial success. For his merits, he was awarded by the King the title of Knight Grand Cross, decorated with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Italy, and that of Grand Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.
The cities of Catania and Rome commemorate him with a street bearing his name; Paternò with a school dedicated to him.
The Union with the Morosoli Family
In 1899, Gioacchino Russo married Amalia Morosoli.
The Morosoli family, part of the patriciate of Lopagno and Cagiallo, was an ancient Swiss noble house originating from the Canton of Ticino. With a strong industrial tradition, they were active in the tobacco trade, operating a cigar and lighter factory as well as a business in the production of road safety barriers.
They arrived in Catania for business reasons and settled there permanently following the marriage between Carlo Enrico Morosoli and Donna Maria, daughter of Don Francesco Imbert Paternò Gioeni, Duke of Furnari and Baron of Ficarazzi, and Donna Anna Rapisardi of the Barons of Sant’Antonio, nobles of the city of Catania. In Catania, they commissioned the construction of a palace and a villa designed by the architect Carlo Sada.
It was the Morosoli family who enhanced the value of Gioacchino Russo’s patents, generating significant profits through a management company. They invested in numerous sectors, including the automotive and insurance industries.
The sons of Don Carlo Enrico and Donna Maria, Ernesto and Augusto, became a point of reference in Catania in these commercial fields. Their nephew, Gioacchino Russo Morosoli, was always fascinated by his uncles and the world of luxury automobiles. Torn between working with his father Francesco, active in the textile sector, and joining his uncles, he ultimately chose the latter—identical twins who inspired Vitaliano Brancati in the novel “Don Giovanni in Sicilia“, from which derives the epithet “lions at the gate” attributed to characters inspired by their figures.
Bachelors and lovers of refined living, they divided their time between work, social life and lighthearted spirit. Their stories have been passed down through anecdotes that transformed them from individuals into memorable characters.
The Founder of the Group
Gioacchino Russo Morosoli, born in 1941, graduated first in Economics and Commerce and later in Tourism Sciences.
He learned the art of automobile sales from his uncle Augusto and was among the first to foresee that, with the economic boom of the 1960s, a market previously dominated by Fiat would open up to foreign brands.
At just 19 years old, he became the Peugeot dealer for all of Eastern Sicily. From there, he embarked on steady growth, acquiring Renault, Hyundai, Rover, Honda, Mercedes, Smart, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge over time, eventually becoming one of the most prominent car dealers in Italy.
He was also active in the insurance sector as head of Lloyd International, later Milano Assicurazioni – General Agency of Catania, and served as representative for Southern Italy of Goglio of Milan, a global leader in machinery for the packaging industry.
Skilled in real estate as well, he built a significant property portfolio over the years.
The Beginnings of the Cablecar
One of the inspectors of Gioacchino’s dealerships was the son-in-law of the Turin engineer Dino Lora Totino – Count of Cervinia, a cable car expert and prominent entrepreneur who made the Mont Blanc Tunnel possible, built the Cervinia cable car, designed Caselle Airport, and served as President of Torino Football Club within the management committee from 1953 to 1955.
It was the Count who had the idea of building a cable car on Mount Etna. In the late 1960s, seeking a local entrepreneur to entrust with its management, he turned to his son-in-law for advice. The inspector, who knew the young Gioacchino well through his work in the dealerships, recommended him to the Count.
The company, however, was going through a difficult period and twice faced the risk of bankruptcy. The Count therefore decided to entrust its management to Gioacchino Russo Morosoli.
Gioacchino immediately introduced new economic and commercial strategies, which initially did not meet with the approval of the Count’s daughters, who expressed their concerns to their father in Turin.
The Count, however, reaffirmed his trust in the young administrator and insisted that he be allowed to carry on. A decision that proved correct, as the following financial year recorded profits.
At the same time, Giogiò – as he was known among friends – acquired “Star”, the company managing excursions on Mount Etna on the Piano Provenzana side, which today operates the ski resort.
The Acquisition of the Company
Taking advantage of the Count’s distance and the respect he had earned from the employees, who saw in him the future of the company, Giogiò succeeded in convincing the Count’s daughters to transfer to him 100% ownership of the company.
Those were not always easy years: during his honeymoon in 1971, a violent eruption destroyed the facility. This happened five more times over the years.
Deeply devoted to the volcano, Giogiò always rebuilt using his own capital, in the absence of insurance companies willing to cover the risk. In 2001, following yet another destruction, he immediately began reconstruction by securing a significant bank loan. The work proceeded rapidly and by 2002 the new cable car was ready. Just one week before the inauguration, however, a new lava flow destroyed it once again. Giogiò did not lose heart: he returned to the bank, obtained a new loan and rebuilt once more, ultimately carrying two mortgages on the same asset.
It is estimated that the Russo Morosoli family has invested approximately one hundred million euros in the Cable Car over the years, which today generates a significant economic impact through collaborations with tour operators, restaurants, hotels, B&Bs, souvenir shops and ski equipment rentals, providing direct and indirect employment to more than 500 families.
A remarkable achievement, considering that Giogiò was initially regarded as reckless for investing in this sector: before the cable car was built, tourists were very few, the ascent was made on muleback and the guides were local shepherds. In fact, Mount Etna was not yet a structured tourist destination. He was even mocked for investing substantial capital “under the lava,” with all the risks that entailed.
Thanks to Giogiò’s perseverance and a lifetime of sacrifice, today hundreds of thousands of visitors can experience the cable car service in complete safety.
The Crisis, the Loss and the Generational Transition
The global automotive crisis of 2012 severely impacted the interests of Gioacchino Russo Morosoli, placing significant pressure on a major part of the Group.
The following year, in 2013, his sudden passing as a result of a road accident further worsened an already complex situation. The responsibility passed to his children, Francesco and Fausta, who found themselves managing a deeply compromised reality.
The Mercedes and Smart dealerships, which generated an annual turnover of approximately 65 million euros, entered into creditor arrangements, and the repercussions threatened to overwhelm the entire Group.
Francesco, then just thirty-four years old, assumed sole administration of the company, with the business on the brink of bankruptcy.
The Etna Cable Car, long under media scrutiny, had inevitably attracted tensions and rivalries over time. During its most vulnerable phase, attacks and pressures were not lacking: from political forces to local entrepreneurs, from banking dynamics to internal matters within the Group, including the actions of one of the directors, a close associate of Francesco, who attempted to appropriate strategic assets of the Cable Car.
Despite this, Francesco, together with his team, succeeded in safeguarding the company, consolidating its core activities and relaunching the Group through new entrepreneurial initiatives, while preserving employment levels.
Funivia dell'Etna today
Thanks to the constant commitment of the Russo Morosoli family, anyone wishing to reach the summit craters can do so in complete safety, discovering one of the most extraordinary places in the Mediterranean.
Preserving and protecting the territory has always been the mission of the Russo Morosoli family, together with the commitment to offering visitors an unforgettable experience, contributing significantly to the scientific promotion of the site and to Mount Etna’s recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Today, the Group led by Francesco Russo Morosoli, with the new Funivia dell’Etna strongly envisioned by him, represents one of the most significant entrepreneurial realities in Sicily.
