The made in Italy that offers a world of comfort

Just under ten kilometres to the north-east of Udine lies the small town of Martignacco. This is where a company is based that could not be anywhere else. It is LaCividina, the armchair and sofa manufacturer founded in 1976 by Carlo Bulfoni and deeply rooted in this area. First of all, it is bound to the textile traditions of the Friuli region, as well as to the world of family-run businesses that here, perhaps more than anywhere else, is the true source of capitalism.

The brand is currently captained by the chairman Fulvio Bulfoni, 55, the son of the founder and husband of the CEO Paola Mesaglio, who deals with the managerial side of operations. Founded as an experimental workshop at the service of large companies in the sector, LaCividina started its own production thanks to an intuition by the then young Fulvio, who had just joined the company at the end of a career as a professional high jumper and after a long apprenticeship made of summers spent, as it was customary back then, among looms, sewing machines, artisans and designers. The first lines under the LaCividina brand were presented in 99/2000 and designed by two promising figures, Peter Harvey and Gianni Rossetti. The debut was so well received that more than two decades later, those first collections are still in the catalogue, together with models created by established masters such as Pierre Paulin, Constance Guisset and Sebastian Herkner, or by talented figures nurtured by Bulfoni himself, such as Skrivo – real name Stefan Krivokapic - the designer of the Pinch sofa that received a special mention during the Golden Compass awards of 2018. Although the residential market has grown a lot in the past two years, LaCividina’s production is focused above all on contract-style orders, which account for approximately 70% of business. The Martignacco-made furniture has been chosen, among others, by Louis Vuitton, Dior, Van Cleef & Arpels and Chanel for their boutiques, showrooms, runway shows and events. Then there are airports, cruise liners, opera theatres, hotels. LaCividina is now present in 72 countries around the world, and it exports almost 90% of its products, particularly to the USA, Scandinavia and the United Arab Emirates. However, the last two years has also recorded excellent results on the domestic front thanks especially to the trust granted by interior designers. Apart from the fabrics, which mostly come from Denmark for reasons of quality, all of the manufacturing phases involve labour and materials sourced from a radius of 50 km from the Martignacco plant. It is a focus on local supplies that is a source of great pride or a company that provides direct employment for 30 people, as well as approximately 80 more through satellite activities. Working in line with production criteria also has an important collateral effect; LaCividina’s products and processes are sustainable. All the fabrics have been or can be recycled, while the finished products, made without the use of glue, can be completely broken down and therefore in turn can be recovered.   Opening image: Osaka, the iconic sofa designed by Pierre Paulin in 1967 and produced today by LaCividina