S.N.I.A. was born in 1917 as italian-american maritime company. Transformation into a viscose manufacturing society came after a couple of years. S.N.I.A. Viscosa (Societą Nazionale Industria Applicazioni Viscosa - National Viscose Company) - was chosen as new name.
Varedo factory was built in 1924 by a subsidiary company, acquired by S.N.I.A. Viscosa in 1927. In the same year the plant was enalrged by the building of a new coal-fired power plant, new administrative blocks and wide shed halls. In first times it was produced viscose thread (Sniafilo) only, then, from 1930 ahead, viscose staple (Sniafiocco) too.
During the Fascist period, S.N.I.A. became one of the most important regime's companies, owned by a friend of Benito Mussolini, Franco Marinotti. In these years the plant was enlarged again, and modernized using rationalist architecture. Lanital, the milk-fibre that celebrated the glory of autarchy, was produced here in Varedo first, then in other company sites. During the Second World War was built a huge coal-fired power plant, due to the enlargement of the complex; the factory was occupied by German soldiers for some months, but it still worked during all the conflict time.
In 1947 an automated viscose production line was installed here in Varedo plant, for the first time in Italy. It was an american licenced process: by using only one big machinery, raw cellulose was transformed into luminescent threads.
The discovery of synthetic fibers changed radically the world of chemical fibers industry, and nylon was going to became the most popular textile material of all the times. S.N.I.A. was the first italian company who began this kind of production, and Varedo was chosen as one of the first experimental plants. New fibres were called Lilion (nylon 6) and Rilsan (nylon 11). Then the complex was divided in two halves: Varedo 1, the old viscose factory and coal-fired power plants; Varedo 2, the new synthetics fibres one with a new oil-fired power plant. During the "gold period" between 1955 and 1965 about 7000 people worked in this fibres-city. From 1970 the situation changed: strikes and riots against poor working conditions and production outsourcing signed the beginning of the end. In 1982 Varedo 1 was shut down, as every western world viscose plant, due to the strong competition with developing countries as India, China and South Africa.
In 1980 S.N.I.A. Viscosa became a holding and the fibres division was broke up as a new company called S.N.I.A. Fibre. In 1994 Nylstar was born: a joint venture between S.N.I.A. Fibre and Rhodia, with the purpose to create the biggest european nylon company, with plants in Italy, UK, Germany, France and Spain. Nylstar carried ahead Lilion production in Varedo until 2000, then slowly stopped production steps one after another. After a few sad years, in december 2004 every machinery was turned off forever.
Today this majestic and unique place still signs the horizon with its five chimneys, lost in a silence full of forgotten memories.
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