A bridge between past and future
These few words sum up the philosophy of Mattioda four Glorious Generations of Piedmont Building contractors.
By the end of the nineteenth century this name was already well known in the environment.
That’s how, all the stonecutters and masons who came from near Castellamonte, on the green hills of the Canavese were called.
On those same hills there is still a group of houses with the meaningful name “Canton Mattioda“.
Giuseppe, the pioneer, the entrepreneur. The man
The story of the company begins, effectively, in 1892, while its founder Mr. Giuseppe Mattioda was busy with the construction of roads to connect his valley.
But, the “great old man” throws his first long bridge between Canavese and Africa.
He move alone in 1898, as the men usually did in that time, animated by his courage and a very good expertise.
Destination: South Africa
He had heard that in this far land were searching for entrepreneurs able to build roads and railways. But the discovery of rich mineral deposits in the Transvaal region rekindle, in those years, a conflit of interest between the Boers and the English settlers.
Mattioda get involved in the conflict and, unwillingly, is forced to raise up fortification and dig shelters.
When the hostilities ended, he decides to stay in Africa and found his own company.
It’s the 1902 when he finally realize his dream: build roads and railways.
Pierino: heart and tradition
Two years before his departure to Africa the son Pierino was born and, according to the family tradition, decide then to follow his father’s footsteps. Sure enough, as soon as possible, together with his cousin Giovanni (already emigrant in America) Pierino join his father.
In 1914 Giuseppe and Pierino expand the Company of the Colony of Cape and undertake a contract to build big fabrics in a country where everything has to be built: bridges, roads and tunnels.
In 1921 Giuseppe returns to Canavese, where he died in 1924 leaving a great memory and a big company managed by his son in South Africa.
In the meanwhile Pierino entered in partnership with Pietro Gallo: between the two men begins an exemplary partnership founded on mutual respect, cemented by fraternal friendship and supported by the optimal relationship with the local workers.
In 1924, once concluded the works for the railway’s construction in Matatiele, Pierino grant himself a holiday in Italy and for sentimental reasons the holiday turns into a permanence: he get married and decide to remain in Canavese where in 1927 his son Enzo comes to life.
However, his heart is shared between his family and the limitless spaces of the South Africa, between his new life and his business over there.
Together with Benigno: the season of the great works in Italy
Once settled in Italy, Pierino founds a new company together with his brother Benigno. Unfortunately, the 1929 crisis is lurking and, like all the other entrepreneurs, also the Mattioda suffer the backlash of the slump.
However, the recovery is on its way and in partnership with the Engineer Alberto Giachetti, they built the Savona – San Giuseppe cableway. A very challenging fabric which states the company’s success at national level: between the 1935 and 1937 in their construction sites worked over a thousand workers.
Though, the arrival of World War II restrains the company during the implementation of important works and during the post-war reconstruction they are busy with highly technical fabrics on behalf of the Electricity Company of the City of Turin and the Military Engineers: it concerns the inclinated plane , the compressed air tunnel and the hydroelectric system in Rosone and also the construction of the road between Ceresole Reale (TO) and the Nivolet Col (1612 m above the sea leavel).
Enzo and Tommaso: roads leading to the future
In the subsequent years, Pierino can rely on the useful collaboration of his son Enzo , young and skilled engineer and together they work on important technical fabrics on behalf of the Municipal Electricity Company, the Ministry of Transportation and the Province of Turin: the construction of the hydroelectric system in Ceresole Reale including the penstock in tunnel and intake works for the construction of the Avigliana bridge.
Not less relevant the new extraction plants for the National Society in Cogne, the first prestressed reinforced concrete fabrics built in the Province of Turin, the hydroelectric plant and the penstock of Valpelline for the Electrical Poolof the Buthier in the Aosta Valley.
The family tradition continues when Tommaso, the second-born of Pierino, joins the Company. Starting from the first years of the ’60 the Company carries out successfully big fabrics on behalf of the Anas, the Motorway Companies and the State Railways.
Further, the economic boom and the investment bubble permit to open even new sites to achieve run-off fabrics like the construction of the most important motorways section in the north of Italy and foundation works like schools, council houses and hospitals.
Between 1977 and 1980 both Tommaso and Pierino die and Enzo had to manage the Company alone with great perseverance and professional knowledge as confirmed by the excellent results in the construction of tunnels, bridges and motorways.
However the crisis of the ’90 does not save the Company and Enzo forward – looking as usual, takes up new investment through the purchase of shareholdings in the Concessionaire Motorways Companies Ativa and Sitaf.
Between technology and tradition "The big Family"
At the beginning of the ’90, Patrizia, Gianpiero and Manuela have been joined their father Enzo (who died the 27 October 2010) and now they continue the family tradition bringing the company a valuable technological contribution and new ideas, never forget their grandfather’s weighty words:
“We, Mattioda, were born to build. We could carry out only this kind of work: when we succeed in erecting bridges, in demolishing the baffle of a tunnel, in concluding our fabrics we forget any previous difficulty”
And these words have guided the new generation in small and large choices that over the years have made it a “big family” defined by Gianpiero, the eldest of three children, who suddenly passed away in the summer of 2017, who mentioned:
“Great” not only for its size, but also for the courageous choices made to maintain its independence and its important position on the market, even at the expense of big sacrifices. “Great” also for the quality of human relationships that it has always had both inside and outside the Company and which have allowed it to be esteemed and respected in all places and in all the administrations with which it has operated!
A bridge between past and future
These few words sum up the philosophy of Mattioda four Glorious Generations of Piedmont Building contractors.
By the end of the nineteenth century this name was already well known in the environment.
That’s how, all the stonecutters and masons who came from near Castellamonte, on the green hills of the Canavese were called.
On those same hills there is still a group of houses with the meaningful name “Canton Mattioda“.
Giuseppe, the pioneer, the entrepreneur. The man
The story of the company begins, effectively, in 1892, while its founder Mr. Giuseppe Mattioda was busy with the construction of roads to connect his valley.
But, the “great old man” throws his first long bridge between Canavese and Africa.
He move alone in 1898, as the men usually did in that time, animated by his courage and a very good expertise.
Destination: South Africa
He had heard that in this far land were searching for entrepreneurs able to build roads and railways. But the discovery of rich mineral deposits in the Transvaal region rekindle, in those years, a conflit of interest between the Boers and the English settlers.
Mattioda get involved in the conflict and, unwillingly, is forced to raise up fortification and dig shelters.
When the hostilities ended, he decides to stay in Africa and found his own company.
It’s the 1902 when he finally realize his dream: build roads and railways.
Pierino: heart and tradition
Two years before his departure to Africa the son Pierino was born and, according to the family tradition, decide then to follow his father’s footsteps. Sure enough, as soon as possible, together with his cousin Giovanni (already emigrant in America) Pierino join his father.
In 1914 Giuseppe and Pierino expand the Company of the Colony of Cape and undertake a contract to build big fabrics in a country where everything has to be built: bridges, roads and tunnels.
In 1921 Giuseppe returns to Canavese, where he died in 1924 leaving a great memory and a big company managed by his son in South Africa.
In the meanwhile Pierino entered in partnership with Pietro Gallo: between the two men begins an exemplary partnership founded on mutual respect, cemented by fraternal friendship and supported by the optimal relationship with the local workers.
In 1924, once concluded the works for the railway’s construction in Matatiele, Pierino grant himself a holiday in Italy and for sentimental reasons the holiday turns into a permanence: he get married and decide to remain in Canavese where in 1927 his son Enzo comes to life.
However, his heart is shared between his family and the limitless spaces of the South Africa, between his new life and his business over there.
Together with Benigno: the season of the great works in Italy
Once settled in Italy, Pierino founds a new company together with his brother Benigno. Unfortunately, the 1929 crisis is lurking and, like all the other entrepreneurs, also the Mattioda suffer the backlash of the slump.
However, the recovery is on its way and in partnership with the Engineer Alberto Giachetti, they built the Savona – San Giuseppe cableway. A very challenging fabric which states the company’s success at national level: between the 1935 and 1937 in their construction sites worked over a thousand workers.
Though, the arrival of World War II restrains the company during the implementation of important works and during the post-war reconstruction they are busy with highly technical fabrics on behalf of the Electricity Company of the City of Turin and the Military Engineers: it concerns the inclinated plane , the compressed air tunnel and the hydroelectric system in Rosone and also the construction of the road between Ceresole Reale (TO) and the Nivolet Col (1612 m above the sea leavel).
Enzo and Tommaso: roads leading to the future
In the subsequent years, Pierino can rely on the useful collaboration of his son Enzo , young and skilled engineer and together they work on important technical fabrics on behalf of the Municipal Electricity Company, the Ministry of Transportation and the Province of Turin: the construction of the hydroelectric system in Ceresole Reale including the penstock in tunnel and intake works for the construction of the Avigliana bridge.
Not less relevant the new extraction plants for the National Society in Cogne, the first prestressed reinforced concrete fabrics built in the Province of Turin, the hydroelectric plant and the penstock of Valpelline for the Electrical Poolof the Buthier in the Aosta Valley.
The family tradition continues when Tommaso, the second-born of Pierino, joins the Company. Starting from the first years of the ’60 the Company carries out successfully big fabrics on behalf of the Anas, the Motorway Companies and the State Railways.
Further, the economic boom and the investment bubble permit to open even new sites to achieve run-off fabrics like the construction of the most important motorways section in the north of Italy and foundation works like schools, council houses and hospitals.
Between 1977 and 1980 both Tommaso and Pierino die and Enzo had to manage the Company alone with great perseverance and professional knowledge as confirmed by the excellent results in the construction of tunnels, bridges and motorways.
However the crisis of the ’90 does not save the Company and Enzo forward – looking as usual, takes up new investment through the purchase of shareholdings in the Concessionaire Motorways Companies Ativa and Sitaf.
Between technology and tradition "The big Family"
At the beginning of the ’90, Patrizia, Gianpiero and Manuela have been joined their father Enzo (who died the 27 October 2010) and now they continue the family tradition bringing the company a valuable technological contribution and new ideas, never forget their grandfather’s weighty words:
“We, Mattioda, were born to build. We could carry out only this kind of work: when we succeed in erecting bridges, in demolishing the baffle of a tunnel, in concluding our fabrics we forget any previous difficulty”
And these words have guided the new generation in small and large choices that over the years have made it a “big family” defined by Gianpiero, the eldest of three children, who suddenly passed away in the summer of 2017, who mentioned:
“Great” not only for its size, but also for the courageous choices made to maintain its independence and its important position on the market, even at the expense of big sacrifices. “Great” also for the quality of human relationships that it has always had both inside and outside the Company and which have allowed it to be esteemed and respected in all places and in all the administrations with which it has operated!
