Historical moments filled with the essence of the Montegrappa brand

Begun more than a century ago (in 1912), Montegrappa’s constant search for new “formulas” to realize the magical relationship between human thought and paper has produced many exceptional writing instruments enjoyed by many exceptional people.

Enjoying the artisanal virtuosity, vision, and boldness with which the company of Bassano del Grappa is creating have been: popes and other religious leaders, crowned heads and other political leaders, film and other stars (for example, Sylvester Stallone and Jean Alesi, besides being fans, are shareholders and ambassadors of Montegrappa).

Montegrappa gave back to many concerned, dedicating its creations to them: Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, Frank Sinatra, Paulo Coelho, Salvador Dali, Sophia Loren, David Bowie, Quincy Jones, Pelé, Ayrton Senna…

The interaction between significant historical figures and these instruments, with which the user creates a relationship that extends far beyond the act of writing, has created moments particularly fraught with certain aspects of the essence of the Montegrappa brand.

In the first one we will mention, it is as if a higher power has intervened…

The Hand of Fate

The Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner wrote some of his best-known works with Elmo, and for his novel “A Farewell to Arms“ (1929) he was inspired by a relationship with a nurse he had during his stay in the Veneto region. Many of the novel’s descriptions of landscapes are inspired by the picturesque foothills of Monte Grappa, where the town of Bassano del Grappa is located.

Montegrappa pays homage to the many facets of Ernest Hemingway’s extraordinary, multifaceted personality through matching collections of writing instruments (The Writer, The Adventurer, The Fisherman, The Traveler, The Soldier).

                                            Montegrappa Hemingway: The Adventurer (rollerball pen)

The Scepter

When Russian President Boris Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned on 31 December 1999, he named Vladimir Putin his successor. Two days later (2 January 2000) Yeltsin organized a special ceremony to hand over power. And he assigned the role of the scepter to Montegrappa’s iconic model, The Dragon.

In the attached video, which is worth a thousand words, you can see when Yeltsin indicatively places the pen in front of Putin’s eyes, as a warning of the responsibility he assumes with the power of the signature. Finally, he hands him the pen saying: “With this pen, I hand over power to you.”

Incidentally, The Dragon model also marks the beginning of the enormous influence that its CEO Giuseppe Aquila had and continues to have on Montegrappa.

In 1995, then young and eager to leave his mark on the family-owned company, he introduced The Dragon pen, bold and intricate, a true sculptural work of art, confirming the brand’s avant-garde qualities and shaking up the world of luxury (and with an extremely high price tag for the time, of around 2,000 euros).

The Dragon was a great commercial success, but its value is measured by the impact it had on Montegrappa and the wider landscape of writing instruments.

                                                                     Montegrappa “The Dragon“

Blessing from the Pope

“The pen that is very important for the history of Montegrappa is the Vatican 2000 papal pen,” says the company’s CEO Giuseppe Aquila, who, thanks to the pen commissioned by the Vatican for the great jubilee of Christianity, met Pope John Paul II for the first time.

It is this meeting that Aquila considers the most important of his life:
“I have had the pleasure of meeting many statesmen, monarchs, celebrities… But the meeting that changed my life was the one with His Holiness John Paul II.“

The sale of this pen, which bears the Pope’s blessing, has provided a large sum of money for charitable actions organized by the Vatican on the occasion of the 2000th anniversary.