1877-2022: happy 145th birthday Barilla, a story of taste, know-how and sustainability
6 December 2022
One hundred and forty-five years of history for Barilla, the Italian food Company. A journey around a vision, the one of Pietro Barilla sr, who in 1877 opened a bread and pasta shop in Parma with the dream of feeding people what he would feed his children. Around that principle a model of business has grown and today unites 8,500 people and a supply chain that shares values and passion for quality.
On the occasion of its 145th anniversary, a special stamp inspired by a 1947 communication campaign was issued, interpreting the company's history, its relationship with art, and its ability to respond innovatively to the needs of each age and time.
Barilla's journey, almost a century and a half long, has accompanied Italian social and economic changes: it has traversed wars, economic booms and recessions, glocalization and pandemic, amid technological innovations (from the invention of the pasta packaging, to the one printed in 3D or with legume flour), cultural and costume phenomena with communication campaigns that have set the standard, and icons of Italian-ness such as Academy Award winners Federico Fellini, Giuseppe Tornatore, Gabriele Salvatores. Barilla's vision has grown with its horizons, from the conquest of international markets (there are 100 countries where its brands are present) to the major global issues of sustainable development and nutrition.
Today, the Group's purpose – “The joy of food for a better life” - brings people closer to the joy of good food and makes quality the choice for a better life, from each individual to the planet. It's a commitment from field to fork, to bring to the world tasty, joyful and wholesome products, made with selected raw materials from responsible supply chains.
The journey of a Made in Italy goes on with the reopening, in Parma, of Bottega Barilla. A historic place where founder Pietro Barilla Sr used to welcome his first customers is now an experiential space to discover, among relics of the past and historical images, the new Barilla Al Bronzo Pasta, with a dedicated multi-sensory and immersive path. Al Bronzo can be observed in many shapes, smelled to capture its aroma, touched to appreciate its roughness (thanks to the traditional method of bronze drawing), and tasted in the ancient laboratory with preparations by Barilla chefs.
Latest Press Releases
4 June 2026
SUSTAINABILITYRenewable electricity, soft wheat flour from regenerative agriculture, initiatives to support local communities: Barilla shares these and other projects in “Stories of Sustainability”
Caring for communities, promoting strong values, and investing in technologies and production systems that protect the environment and safeguard people’s health
25 May 2026
INNOVATIONBarilla Opens Global Call for Startups Through Good Food Makers 2026
The program has involved over 1,100 startups across 50+ countries, delivering 26 pilot projects
8 April 2026
BARILLA GROUPBarilla confirmed as the world’s leading food company for reputation - ranking 9th overall globally
For the third consecutive year, Barilla is confirmed as the world’s leading food company in the Global RepTrak® 100