Born in Milan in 1935. Awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour in 1986 by the President of the Republic, Leonardo Del Vecchio is best known for founding and bringing the made in Italy brand Luxottica to international levels. In 1958 he moved to Agordo to open a workshop for eyeglass frames, which within three years transformed into the famous brand we know, the largest global producer and seller of eyewear and lenses, employing about 80,000 people and operating over 9,000 stores. Leonardo Del Vecchio also served as President of Delfin S.r.l, a shareholder of Assicurazioni Generali, Vice President of Foncière des Régions S.A., and Board Member of Beni Stabili.
Day by day, month by month, year by year the company is where it is now. Not that I ever dreamed or hoped to get this far. I got here driven by a momentum, by an initial idea, that pushed me to be the best I could be... and every day I walked this path
The youngest of four siblings, his father Leonardo, a fruit trader of Apulian origins, died shortly before his birth. A few years later, young Leonardo was entrusted to the Martinitt boarding school, where he stayed until he graduated from middle school. He began his career in a factory producing medals and trophies: from there he attended evening courses at the Brera Academy to study design and engraving. One of the first warehouses where Luxottica began production was obtained by Del Vecchio thanks to an initiative from the Municipality of Agordo, which donated land for industrial initiatives.
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