S.N.I.A. was born in 1917 as italian-american maritime company. Transformation into a viscose manufacturing society arrived after a couple of years. S.N.I.A. Viscosa - Societą Nazionale Industria Applicazioni Viscosa - was chosen as new name (National Viscose Industry Society).
Varedo's 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 renovated with a coal-fired power plant, new administrative buildings and large production halls. At first it produced only viscose thread (Sniafilo), and after 1930, also viscose staple (Sniafiocco).
During fascism S.N.I.A. became one of the most important regime's companies, owned by a friend of Benito Mussolini, Franco Marinotti . In our factory taked place one Lanital production line: a chemical thread extracted from milk! During the Second World War a second huge coal-fired power plant was built; the factory wasn't destroyed so much as others.
In 1947, for the first time in the country, a complete automatic viscose production line was installed in Varedo. It came from U.S.A., called "Rayon Viscose Process": all production phases could be done with only one big machine, from raw cellulose to luminescent threads.
Another important event was the discovering of synthetic fibres, especially the polyamide nylon. S.N.I.A. was the first italian company who started 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). Our factory was so divided in two halfs: 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" of 1955-1965 about 7000 people worked in this complex. In 1970 some big strikes and riots inside the factory reclaming better working conditions, signed the beginning of the end. In 1982 Varedo 1 was completely closed.
In 1980 S.N.I.A. Viscosa became a holding and the chemical fibres division was broke up as a new company called S.N.I.A. Fibre. In 1994 was created Nylstar, a joint venture between S.N.I.A. Fibre and Rhodia. This company carried ahead Lilion production in Varedo until 2000, when the personnel was strongly reduced. After some sad years, in December 2004 every machinery stopped working.
Today this majestic chemical city is waiting for the end, immersed in a strong silence and full of forgotten memories.
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