An important tribute by the Corriere della Sera, one of the Italian most important newspaper, to the province of Bergamo and, in particular, to Bergamo’s family businesses, to their ability to have evolved in recent years despite the major difficulties linked to Covid. They have been able to get back on their feet and revolutionise, giving rise to developments in terms of internationalisation, technological innovation and sustainability thanks to great teamwork, by entrepreneurs, but above all by families who have never given up, they have made difficulties a stimulus to evolve further.

This is the important message that Corriere della Sera wanted to convey through an article published on 17 February 2025.

Caseificio Defendi was nominated as one of the companies that has been able to evolve and grow the most in recent years. For us at Defendi it was a great honour and immense satisfaction.

The following is part of the article:

‘Founded in 1865, the Caseificio Defendi today represents excellence in the production and promotion of Italian gastronomic culture thanks to cheeses such as Gorgonzola and Taleggio, the flagships of the Bergamo-based company. A reality that from Caravaggio, in the province of Bergamo ‘has gone through a century and a half of constant growth, transforming an artisan business into a modern company from a technological point of view’, as Manrico Defendi, at the helm of the company with his brother Rodolfo, who together with their niece Sabrina, tell us of a history in which tradition and innovation still allow Made In Italy to be universally recognised as a synonym for ‘taste’. A success whose main turning point took place in the early 2000s, with the construction of ‘a technological production centre in which machinery and automation sensors go hand in hand with age-old skills, because even today it is the hand of man and the experience of expert cheesemakers that make the difference’….

‘High quality cheeses with a unique taste, typical of tradition, much appreciated by consumers in over 30 countries in Europe, America and Australia, where our exports are concentrated’.

‘Innovation that is linked to sustainability and enhancement of the territory. Indeed, Manrico Defendi tells us how important it is to ‘promote and preserve the agricultural component as an integral part of an industrialised territory such as the province of Bergamo’. Hence the close collaboration with local breeders and suppliers, implementing synergies that allow the Caseificio Defendi to maintain a short and controlled supply chain that not only ‘ensures the quality and freshness of our cheeses, but also guarantees a reduction in environmental impact and helps us maintain a constant focus on sustainability’.

‘A perspective that includes a very close relationship with the culture of the territory, starting with the strong link with the Donizetti Theatre Foundation, of which the Bergamo-based company has been an ambassador in the world for over ten years. A vision that also contemplates a profound reflection on beauty and on the meaning of ‘taste’ in aesthetic terms, given the marketing strategy that led to the creation of ‘Caravaggio’: a premium brand that not only indicates the place where one of our most solid dairy products is based, but also the high level of specialisation and ‘art’ that still distinguishes Italian food production and its history.’