The story of Dompé farmaceutici dates back to 1890, when the young Piedmontese Onorato Dompé (1868- 1960) opened his first laboratory in Milan. In the early 1950s, his son Franco (1911-2002), who had studied at the University of Pavia with professor and future Nobel Prize winner Giulio Natta, began the production of drugs on an industrial scale. With the third-generation entrepreneur Sergio Dompé, the company opened its doors to biotechnologies, building from the 1980s, partnerships with international players such as Amgen and Biogen.
Launched in 2020, Dompé Archive aims to preserve, promote, and make accessible the story of a company that has always been driven by a desire for innovation. With over 20,000 documents, the Archive is a valuable source also for studying the development of the Italian pharmaceutical industry from the second half of the 19th century to the 1970s.
Of particular interest is the leisure magazine for doctors Bellezza d’Italia that Franco Dompé launched in 1947. This publication, whose creative director was the well-known designer Franco Grignani, was remarkably ahead of its time and may be considered an early example of “brand journalism”: it doesn’t only speak about the company’s products, but also about the vibrant cultural scene of Italy’s boom years. Also of note is the rich collection of photos from the 1950s that illustrates in detail the 15,000-square-meter factory that Franco Dompé rebuilt in via San Martino in Milan in the Post-World War II period. Today, this venue remains Dompe’s global headquarters.
Part of Dompé Archive can be explored online at https://www.fondazionedompe.org/en/dompe-archive. For specific inquiries, contact segreteria@fondazionedompe.org.
