The Founding Year
We may have forgotten, but in the early 1960s Italy was, quite literally, a different country. After running water and electricity, the first household appliances were beginning to enter homes, Fiat had just launched the 500, and the Autostrada del Sole motorway was still under construction.
These were the years of the economic boom, an extraordinary period of growth and opportunity, when the Italian economy was transforming, moving away from its agricultural roots. Small artisanal workshops in the Veneto region became central players in the country’s industrial development. It was within this context that the “Veneto Eyewear District” was born, the ideal environment for manufacturing temples and components for third-party eyewear producers. And it was precisely in this setting that Giovanni Coffen Marcolin began his entrepreneurial journey. In 1961, with a single machine installed in his basement and the support of his wife, he founded his own “artisan workshop” in Cadore.
The Company Takes Shape
Reading the early chapters of Marcolin’s history, one immediately understands Giovanni Coffen Marcolin’s first great strength: his ability to recognize the signals of change in a world where excellence and innovation were becoming essential. But crucially, he understood that growth required moving beyond the boundaries of a small artisan workshop.Thus, in 1964, “Marcolin Occhiali Doublé” was established. No longer a small family-run operation, but a growing company employing dozens, and soon hundreds, of local workers. The brand began reaching a broader audience through advertising, initially sponsoring ski competitions in Cortina, followed later by campaigns in newspapers and on television.From that moment onward, Marcolin’s success continued to expand. Three years later, the company relocated and expanded its facilities, first to Vallesella di Cadore and then, in 1980, to Longarone, where its headquarters remain today, now complemented by the new production plant in Fortogna.
An International Outlook
Marcolin’s second key strength? Its immediate international vision.
In 1968, the company made its debut on the global market, starting with the United States, distributing its products through a network of eight distributors. A few years later, it entered France, opening a subsidiary there in 1976, soon followed by branches in Switzerland and Germany.
Throughout this expansion, the company maintained direct and personal relationships with its partners, just as the founder had done in his small workshop in Cadore.
It is precisely from that unique cultural and geographical context, the cradle of Italy’s finest manufacturing tradition, that Marcolin’s success can truly be understood today. A company capable of combining artisanal excellence with advanced technologies, continuous research into materials, and refined design.
Qualities that, even today, the world continues to admire and value.
