Callegari’s origins date back to 1906, when the Ravenna-based sugar company Callegari & Ghigi was founded in Ravenna, thanks to the entrepreneurial vision of Costantino Callegari and Michele Ghigi. This pioneering enterprise, initially active in the manufacture of sacks for the agricultural sector and camping tents, became one of Ravenna’s leading industrial firms, employing around 1,500 people at the height of its success.

As early as the late 1920s, Callegari & Ghigi was producing waterproof fabrics and rubber goods.

Innovation has always been our driving force: in the early 1960s, the company entered the inflatable boat and liferaft sector. In the early 1960s, Antonio Zaccaria, the company’s long-standing chief engineer, had an insight that was set to change everything. He walked into the workshop with a simple inflatable mattress and asked the technicians to take it apart to see how it was made. From that idea, the first inflatable dinghy was born. Shortly afterwards, the project evolved into a larger dinghy and other prototypes, fitted with a 10 hp outboard motor, which set sail from the coast of Ravenna.

In the 1960s, Callegari & Ghigi took part in the Genoa Boat Show. There, they secured a contract from a major British company, R.F.D., to manufacture self-inflating life rafts. The company had finally entered the international marine market.

In the 1960s, Callegari & Ghigi took part in the Genoa Boat Show. There, they secured a contract from a major British company, R.F.D., to manufacture self-inflating life rafts. The company had finally entered the international marine market.

In 1977, Callegari & Chigi paved the way for Nuova Callegari & Ghigi, focusing on the production of luxury inflatable boats and self-inflating rafts, whilst preserving the valuable expertise acquired over the years.

The 1980s marked the period of greatest expansion for Callegari inflatable boats. Building on Ravenna’s industrial heritage, the company became a leader in the manufacture of inflatable boats featuring technologically advanced solutions, successfully entering the international market and winning prestigious clients such as the Italian Navy.

The product range covered a wide spectrum of models, from small collapsible tenders to larger rigid-hulled inflatable boats. Iconic models such as the Alcione series became synonymous with durability and performance in the boating industry. We were among the first in Italy to adopt innovative materials such as Hypalon for the tubes, ensuring greater durability and reliability.

Our boats from the 1980s featured multi-compartment watertight tubes for safety, marine-grade wooden or aluminium floors, and the first models of RIBs (Rigid Inflatable Boats) with fibreglass hulls, anticipating the trend for high-performance craft. Law enforcement agencies, the Army and the Navy, both in Italy and abroad, deployed our boats due to their build quality and ability to operate in harsh conditions.

In the 1980s, Callegari invested heavily in marketing, regularly exhibiting at major Italian and international boat shows, such as the Genoa International Boat Show and the Cannes Boat Show. The famous slogan, accompanied by images of colourful inflatable boats, captured the essence of the product: freedom and enjoyment at sea.

In 2000, a significant new chapter began with the reintroduction and updating of models that had shaped the brand’s history, such as the iconic Olimpus 66 and the versatile Boston 41, underlining a clear mission to revive the excellence of traditional Italian nautical products.

The Callegari brand is currently enjoying a new lease of life.