Giulio Ceretti
Encyclopedia
Giulio Ceretti, was an Italian
engineer and entrepreneur, active in the area of cable transport
. Ceretti built the first aerial cableway with intermediate supports
, and was one of the first engineers ever to design and install mechanical systems in harbours and dock yards
in order to speed-up the loading and unloading of cargo ships.
in 1889.
In 1894 he and his colleague, the engineer Vincenzo Tanfani, founded Ceretti & Tanfani. In the same year, the company installed a small aerial cableway at the United Expositions Fair in Milan; this cableway had only one antecedent
, built in the United States of America the previous year.
In 1912, he built a cableway at Lana-San Vigilio, Merano; 2,2 km. long and 1153 metres high, it was the first example with intermediate supports running over rugged ground capable of carrying passengers. Ceretti's intermediate support system was quickly developed in other European and non-European countries, where it became a standard construction. Following, Ceretti received many awards for this development.
While continuing to work on cableways, Ceretti studied the inefficiencies of cargo-handling at harbours and docks. He developed new mechanical methods for moving cargos around, and in 1903 he designed technologies to lift weights, chutes and cableways for the Savona
harbour, to load off coal on railway trucks.
During World War I he collaborated with the Italian Army
. His expertise was helpful to the transportation of troops, ammunitions and supplies to the Alpine
front line
by aerial cable. Ceretti's expertise and contribution led him to become director of the Technical Department of the Italian Air Force
, in Turin
.
Thanks to his company Ceretti developed the Bovisa
district in Milan, to provide accommodation for the families of his employees, and offered them soft loans through the Lombard Province Savings Bank, the Cassa di Risparmio delle Province Lombarde, of which he became vice-president.
Ceretti continued his work until his death in 1934, with Ceretti & Tanfani becoming one of the world's leading companies in the field of mechanical transport. Part of his legacy was the expansion of aerial cableways to the most inaccessible parts of the Alps.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
engineer and entrepreneur, active in the area of cable transport
Cable transport
Cable transport refers to the broad class of transport modes that rely on vehicles pulled by cables, rather than having an internal power source...
. Ceretti built the first aerial cableway with intermediate supports
Support (structure)
A support can refer to a variety of structures in architecture that includes arches, beams, columns, balconies, and stretchers....
, and was one of the first engineers ever to design and install mechanical systems in harbours and dock yards
Dock (maritime)
A dock is a human-made structure or group of structures involved in the handling of boats or ships, usually on or close to a shore.However, the exact meaning varies among different variants of the English language...
in order to speed-up the loading and unloading of cargo ships.
Career
Ceretti graduated from the Politecnico di Milano (Polytechnic Institute of Milan) in 1890, after studying at the Polytechnic Institute of ZurichETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
in 1889.
In 1894 he and his colleague, the engineer Vincenzo Tanfani, founded Ceretti & Tanfani. In the same year, the company installed a small aerial cableway at the United Expositions Fair in Milan; this cableway had only one antecedent
Antecedent
An antecedent is a preceding event, condition, cause, phrase, or word. It may refer to:* Antecedent moisture, a hydrologic term describing the relative wetness condition of a sewershed.* Antecedent , the first half of a hypothetical proposition....
, built in the United States of America the previous year.
In 1912, he built a cableway at Lana-San Vigilio, Merano; 2,2 km. long and 1153 metres high, it was the first example with intermediate supports running over rugged ground capable of carrying passengers. Ceretti's intermediate support system was quickly developed in other European and non-European countries, where it became a standard construction. Following, Ceretti received many awards for this development.
While continuing to work on cableways, Ceretti studied the inefficiencies of cargo-handling at harbours and docks. He developed new mechanical methods for moving cargos around, and in 1903 he designed technologies to lift weights, chutes and cableways for the Savona
Savona
Savona is a seaport and comune in the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea....
harbour, to load off coal on railway trucks.
During World War I he collaborated with the Italian Army
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
. His expertise was helpful to the transportation of troops, ammunitions and supplies to the Alpine
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
front line
Front line
A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...
by aerial cable. Ceretti's expertise and contribution led him to become director of the Technical Department of the Italian Air Force
Italian Air Force
The Italian Air Force has gone under different names in different periods:*Regia Aeronautica , from 1923 to June 1946*Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana, the air force of Italian Social Republic during World War II...
, in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.
Thanks to his company Ceretti developed the Bovisa
Bovisa
Bovisa is a district of Milan, Italy, located north of the city center, in the Zone 9. The name is supposedly derived from the italian word bove, meaning ox, as the area developed from an ancient rural settlement....
district in Milan, to provide accommodation for the families of his employees, and offered them soft loans through the Lombard Province Savings Bank, the Cassa di Risparmio delle Province Lombarde, of which he became vice-president.
Ceretti continued his work until his death in 1934, with Ceretti & Tanfani becoming one of the world's leading companies in the field of mechanical transport. Part of his legacy was the expansion of aerial cableways to the most inaccessible parts of the Alps.
Awards
- 1914: the Lombard Institute of Literature, Sciences and Arts awarded Ceretti the Brambilla prize in recognition of his creation and development of new Italian industry.
- 1919, he was appointed Senior Official and ‘Knight of the Grand Cross’, decorated with the cross of St. Lazarus, and appointed as ‘Knight of Labour’.
Published works
- Giulio Ceretti, Aerial Cableways, London, E.&F.N. Spon LTD, New York, Spon & Chamberlain, 1927
- Giulio Ceretti & Giuseppe Pini, Mezzi e vie di trasporto, Pisa, Arti Grafiche Pacini Mariotti, 1931
- Giulio Ceretti, Cinque anni di fascismo alla Cassa di Risaprmio delle Provincie Lombarde, Milano, Cariplo, 1927