Florence, XVI century
Cosimo I de’ Medici decided to develop freight traffic on the Arno River and, in order to facilitate
transport, he built the Navicelli Canal which has linked Florence to the sea since 1600.

It is 1575, and the name of the Picchiotti family appears for the first time in the ducal archives
as yacht builder in Limite sull’Arno with the first Becolini boats. Thus begins a tradition that will
contribute to the history of the modern yachting industry.

For over four centuries, the Picchiotti shipyards have marked the history of military, commercial,
leisure, and sport yachting, experiencing all the stages of technological development with the
transition from wood to steel, and from steel to aluminium.