Fe-Ro

Fe-Ro is a pipe producer working in Oltrona al Lago, in the province of Varese in northern Italy. The brand's name comes from the joining of the first syllables of founder Federico Rovera's given and family names; the company's official name is Figli di Federico Rovera. The factory turns out both pipes carrying its own name and lines made to order for well-known firms across Europe.

The Rovera Family and the Brand's Birth

The family's entry into the pipe business goes back to 1911. According to the record, four Rovera brothers — Federico, Francesco, Cornelio, and Carlo — began making briar pipes around Varese that year. Another branch of the family, in later generations, turned toward handmade pipes and became known under the Ardor brand; the two firms are separate businesses today.

Fe-Ro's founding date is given as 1949. That year Federico Rovera set up his own company together with his sons, and the business has stayed in the family through subsequent generations. According to the record, management today rests with the founder's daughter, Marina Rovera-Gazzaniga, and her husband, Enos Gazzaniga. Pipes the factory ships to the US are sold under the name Fe.Ro; the standard stamp form consists of the lines "Fe.Ro. Pipe / Varese / Made in Italy."