The celebrations for Beretta's 500th anniversary began during the EOS 2026 fair and continued over a tightly packed three days during which the company hosted around 150 journalists, bloggers and influencers in Gardone Val Trompia, where the Italian company has its headquarters. We could not miss it, and in the coming weeks we will tell you about the many things we were able to see during our visit: some are still under wraps, but we'll be able to reveal them to you when the time is right.
We would like to start with the meeting with the last two Beretta generations, which took place at the headquarters of Industrie Palazzoli S.p.A. on March 30. The event that marked the first day of the meeting between international media representatives and members of the Beretta family began with a brief press conference. This led to the most important moment, which was the opportunity to chat in an informal and relaxed atmosphere with Franco Gussalli Beretta and his son Carlo, who represent the present and future of the Brescia-based company: below, we present the results of this conversation.
Bartolomeo Beretta, from spark to future
His virtual incarnation made its debut at EOS 2026, connecting live with his descendant Franco Gussalli Beretta during a press conference held at the company's stand. His magnetic presence captivated and intrigued everyone. We're talking about Bartolomeo, the newest member of the Beretta dynasty, or more precisely, the first. Born in 1490 in Gardone Val Trompia, he is recognized as the founder of the industrial dynasty that has ruled the company for half a millennium. His name is cited on the receipt dated October 9, 1596, in which the Venice Arsenal declares having paid Bartolomeo Beretta 296 ducats for 185 arquebus barrels. The character created by artificial intelligence has the proud look we still see today when we meet a craftsman proud of his work and aware of his expertise.
Bartolomeo's avatar was not only created to appear live during Beretta's 500th anniversary celebrations, but as befits a virtual character, it will live a life of its own on the website created for this unique anniversary. By visiting the page dedicated to Bartolomeo Beretta, fans will be able to ask him questions about the long life of his company.
Carlo Gussalli Beretta: Seeing the future while respecting the past
We wanted to begin our round of questions with Carlo Gussalli Beretta, born in 1997, Digital Project Manager at Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta, where he focuses on digital innovation applied to marketing and human resources. He is also responsible for the brand's luxury division, promoting the integration of historic craftsmanship and new technologies. He was therefore the right person to ask about new digital technologies, in which Beretta has always been at the forefront.
Q: There is a familiar trait in Bartolomeo Beretta's face: how was it created?
Our Digital Champions team, together with the Marketing team, worked hard on this project to try to give the most realistic image possible of what our ancestor Bartolomeo Beretta might have looked like sixteen generations ago, in 1526. We know he was a gun-barrel maker, so we used family images and photographs – of my father, my uncle, my grandfather – but also older photos and painted portraits of past generations of the Beretta family. We also worked on the voice: the one you heard in English. However, if you listen to it again in Italian, you will also notice some local dialect inflections. So it was certainly a complex project, but I think the result came out well. And who better than him to tell his story?
Q: What does 500 years of history mean for a company?
It is about reconciling two souls that are certainly very different. On the one hand, there is tradition: if you visit Beretta, you can see some of the production still carried out by hand – the crafting of receivers, stocks, engravings – all of which we've inherited from our craftsmen's years of experience. At the same time, however, there is maximum innovation in terms of industry, technology, and research applied to our products, both in the hunting and military sectors. They are therefore two souls that go hand in hand. My father often tells an anecdote: when he was my age, his uncle used to tell him, 'Go to the factory and watch how the craftsmen work, because when you take over the company, that department will probably no longer exist, given that we're industrializing'. Instead, the beautiful thing is that even today, after almost 500 years, that reality is still there and is extremely important to us. Besides being a great honor from a corporate point of view, it is also what I feel closest to: I see our 'Selection' products more as works of art than just firearms.
Over the next few days, we will be presenting other exclusive content, clips and photos on the new products that Beretta will be introducing to the market to celebrate its first five hundred years, here on the website and on all4shooters.com social channels. We invite you to visit them and leave a comment. Stay tuned!
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