Forte dei Marmi, Italy’s answer to Saint-Tropez, has always been designer Giorgio Armani’s favorite vacation spot. On August 27, he announced that he had reached an agreement to acquire the hybrid nightclub La Capannina di Franceschi srl. The new management is not expected to take over until the 2026 summer season.
With the acquisition of the festive restaurant-bar La Capannina di Franceschi, an iconic establishment in the upscale seaside resort of Forte dei Marmi, Giorgio Armani is not just completing an ordinary transaction or paying a simple tribute to transalpine gastronomy: he is evoking personal memories. This will fuel the storytelling of the eponymous brand founded in 1971, which has since become a luxury lifestyle empire.
It was in this Tuscan town, renowned for its relaxed lifestyle and beach clubs, that Giorgio Armani met his friend and partner Sergio Galeotti in the 1960s, during the economic boom. So much so that the fashion designer, now 91 years old, has always seen Forte dei Marmi as a personal refuge and vacation spot.
The amount of the transaction has not been disclosed. However, unconfirmed rumors suggest a figure of between €12 million and €15 million.
Legendary establishment
The mayor of Forte dei Marmi, Bruno Murzi, expressed his great satisfaction at La Campannina’s entry into the fold of the Italian luxury fashion house. Beyond the founder’s “emotional gesture,” the mayor highlighted “the added value for the town’s tourism and economy.”
It all began in 1929, when Achille Franceschi transformed an old carpenter’s shed into a beach hut with a bar, a few tables, and a hand-cranked gramophone. The place quickly became a popular spot for the local elite, including Florentine aristocrats and wealthy Milanese families on vacation.
In the 1930s, La Capannina attracted noble families such as the Della Gherardesca and Rucellai families, as well as intellectuals such as the poet Giuseppe Ungaretti and the poet and member of the Italian Senate Eugenio Montale.
Rebuilt after a fire in 1939, the establishment was forced to close its doors in 1942 at the request of Benito Mussolini, who nevertheless failed to extinguish the myth.
After World War II, La Capannina became the summer salon of a festive Italy: from Gino Paoli to Gloria Gaynor, Ornella Vanoni and the singer of La Bambola, Patty Pravo, the venue became the embodiment of the Dolce Vita of Versilia. Its walls and reddish terracotta tile roof—typical of the region—keep intact the memory of royal visits and cult evenings such as Sapore di mare and Abbronzatissimi.
Since 1977, this symbol of high society has been purchased and managed by Gherardo and Carla Guidi. Since then, the nightclub has weathered trends and generations without losing any of its charm, and now has the added bonus of a ristorante. The latter also offers an aperitivo and a lounge bar.
However, we will have to wait until summer 2026 to see the influence of the new owner, Giorgio Armani.
This acquisition is reminiscent of the sale of Paris Society entertainment division by Accor group to Laurent de Gourcuff and Pernod Ricard in France.
Read also > Accor sells Paris Society’s entertainment division to Laurent de Gourcuff and Pernod Ricard
Featured photo: La Campannina Forte dei Marmi
