ZANOTTI: A heritage of Italian craftsmanship since 1625 (versione italiana)

From the end of the XVI century, or rather from the beginning of the XVII century, the Zanottis were millers. They came from Fiorenzuola sul Santerno, in Emilia, where they ran a water mill in S. Patrizo, a small village near S. Maria in Fabriago, in the district of Ravenna.
 
It was from the mill of S. Patrizio that Cassiano Zanotti, the founding father of the future gunsmith family, was held hostage by the invading troops of Lanzichenecchi, and deported to Germany.
 
In that country fortune smiled on him and gave him the opportunity to take an interest in the making of firearms. He became so fond of this new activity, that since his repatriation he gave up the water mill and moved to S. Maria in Fabriago, where he became the first gunsmith of Zanotti family.
 
In Italy there has never been another gunsmith family which has continued in its business in such an obstinate way strongly attached to their origin land for more than three centuries. Unlike the Cominazzos, who also worked in the firearms business for more than three centuries scattering through many parts of Italy to take service with different Lords, the Zanottis remained attached to their workshop in the old house of S. Maria in Fabriago from the beginning of the XVII century till 1950 when Fabio moved to Gardone V.T., a well known and reputed gunsmithing county.

The till attachement to tradition was always so strong for the Zanottis of all generations that they even payed personally for their own gunsmith activity. In fact during XIX century the Austrians accused the family of having made and sold firearms to the patriots and jailed two of the five sons of Pietro (1798-1870) in the prisons of Ferrara.
A descendant of Pietro was Renato (1909-1975) who worked in Bologna and whose heritage was gathered and saved by Giorgio Simoni. He's continuing Renato's tradition making fine faithfull shotguns to his patterns and spirit.