1880
The Foundation
Francesco Foresti, already the owner of a grocery store, began producing his own cheeses in the small village of Pralboino, in the province of Brescia, buying milk from “Stallotto Sironi”.
With the proceeds from this new business, he soon opened two “caselli” (dairy farms), where he specialized in making Fribourg-style cheese.In 1898
Gold Medal at the General Exhibition in Turin
The business grew quickly, and so did the range of cheeses produced.
These cheeses were awarded a gold medal by Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy at the General Italian Exhibition in Turin.
In 1924 – Gold Medal at the Fiume Industrial, Commercial and Agricultural Exhibition
These were the years of reconstruction. Giovanni Foresti returned to run the dairy, which had passed into the hands of his wife Lina while he served at the front.
Lina Comincini, already active in the dairy, ran the family business throughout the war without ever halting production, providing jobs and a livelihood for many of the neighboring villages.
At the Fiume Industrial Exhibition, the Giovanni Foresti dairy received the highest honor for its outstanding cheese production.
In 1957, Francesco Foresti consolidated the group’s operations
Milk processing was concentrated at the Gottolengo plant, which had been operating since 1930 in support of production in Gambara.
After Giovanni’s death, the business was taken over by his son Francesco, who was later joined by his grandson Gianluigi.
During these years, production of pure centrifuged cream butter increased, production of UHT cream and milk began, and a significant boost was given to the production of Fontal Nazionale, which has always been made according to the founder’s recipe.
2002 – A Year of Major Renovation
The Gottolengo plant was expanded and modernized. The old buildings were abandoned and, while honoring a centuries-old tradition, modern equipment was installed to ensure the highest quality standards.
Minor production lines were discontinued in order to focus on Mascarpone, Ricotta, and Fontal Nazionale, products now recognized worldwide for their outstanding quality.