Franco Beretta’s father Ugo Gussalli Beretta (in sunglasses)

Top gun Franco Beretta is fired up by enthusiasm for his family company’s philosophy and hunting heritage

Being born into the Beretta family my first experience of going out hunting, or shooting as you say in England, and having some nice shotguns in my hands came at the early age of eight. At that time it was Pier Carlo Beretta, my great uncle, who used to organise hunts to which he invited my father – and my brother and I joined in when still young. At about the age of 10 we were allowed to start shooting and the big question was always whether to use a 36 gauge – which is easy for a young boy to handle but with which it is very difficult to hit a pheasant – or a 20 gauge, which was much more appropriate for a pheasant hunt but which kicked like a horse. In both cases they were made to measure for us.

Those early hunting days were instructive for me in so many ways. On one of my first shoots, during cold weather, I took a bright red hat out of my pocket that embarrassed my father and great uncle as the colour was terribly ill chosen. That was the first time I realised how important the colour of hunting gear is. Since then, the shooting culture in all its variety, knowledge and experience has become part of who I am. Growing up around my father and uncles, living in the Italian countryside and going out shooting when so young shaped my concept of the Beretta lifestyle. Any improvements I have been able to make to our hunting gear stem from these early memories.

At that time, Great Uncle “Zio Carlo”, as we called him, taught us what to look for in firearms and how certain technical and aesthetic characteristics were important in the making of a great gun. This was both the company’s and his lifelong personal focus. Later, when I started working in the company with my father, we decided that the Beretta customer needs not only the perfect shotgun but also all the gear that helps him have a pleasant day out in the field. And this was thanks to the early lessons Pier Carlo taught us about style and quality, as well as the way he looked after his hunting wardrobe.

Pier Carlo Beretta hunting in 1951

Then, as now, hunting in Italy was a rustic activity. The Italian hunting tradition is not as sophisticated as that of the English, French or Spanish. Of course, there were exceptions in some regions, namely in Tuscany, where there were countless noble families who loved to go shooting on their private estates. And Pier Carlo took every opportunity to visit friends in Tuscany, England and Spain to pursue his passion for hunting. He also loved live pigeon shooting, which was a popular, elite social pastime at its most exclusive and elegant in Monte-Carlo, San Remo and Montecatini.

My great uncle was also part of the golden decade of the Italian “dolce vita” in the 1960s, with Anita Ekberg’s supremely sexy walk inside the Trevi Fountain. Aristocracy, industrialists, actors and VIPs used to gather for shooting events, followed by galas all night. Zio Carlo really enjoyed being part of this crowd and drew inspiration from the clothing and accessories he came across on his many trips and the events he attended. From England he brought back elegant tweed outfits; from Italy the Maremmana and corduroy brown jackets; in Spain he picked up cotton gabardine vests and leather gear. He used all these elements and ideas to enrich his own collection using the most practical yet stylish materials. And so he created the Beretta lifestyle, which reflects a great love for nature and outdoor life, constantly searches for innovative solutions and has a strong commitment to quality and attention to detail. Today these are the fundamental values that continue to guide my family and my organisation.

Naturally, we also saw our great uncle at his house and the company headquarters in Gardone Val Trompia. My brother and I grew up visiting him at the “Villa”, at his office and the nearby museum, where he liked to show us the beautiful shotguns he collected. This is how we began to understand the importance of not only the product’s aesthetic but also the aesthetic of its display. In the late 1880s, Giuseppe Antonio Beretta decided to build a new warehouse where he could not only stock his products but also showcase them to clients.

The 2,000sq ft room is filled with wonderfully carved, elegant glass-fronted oak cabinets. In the middle is a unique display case that was used at the 1906 International Exposition in Milan. Its columns are decorated with strips of Damascus steel from shotgun barrels, the woodwork is carved with complex neo-gothic motifs and there are hand-engraved steel plaques with hunting and wildlife scenes.

This room served as an inspiration to my father, Ugo, and me when creating our first Beretta Gallery in Manhattan. Today we have Galleries in all the world’s major cities. As opposed to ordinary shops, these Galleries offer customers a window into the Beretta DNA, inspired by all 15 generations of the family. I hope that I am able to communicate my enthusiasm for the Beretta way of life to my son, who is 11 and comes shooting with me, my brother and our father. We want him to experience this outdoor activity amongst the family as we hope this will influence him to continue, maintain and even improve our family philosophy for the generations to come… I think he has already made a great start: unlike his father, he has never worn a bright red hat out on a shoot.

– Franco Beretta is vice president of Beretta, a family run business specialising in firearms, lifestyle clothing and accessories

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