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BERETTA AT 500: CANNONS, CANDLELIGHT AND FIVE CENTURIES OF CRAFTSMANSHIP
Olympic champions, industry leaders and the 16th generation of the world’s oldest industrial dynasty gathered at Ragley Hall as GMK hosted a spectacular gala dinner to launch the countdown to Beretta’s official 500th anniversary
Few companies can claim a century of history. Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta is preparing to celebrate five of them - and the UK leg of the festivities began in unforgettable style with a gala dinner at The Game Fair in Warwickshire, hosted by GMK, Beretta’s exclusive UK distributor.
The evening marked the countdown to 3 October 2026, the date on which Beretta officially turns 500. It was in 1526 that Bartolomeo Beretta received his first recorded payment for arquebus barrels, and the company has remained in continuous family ownership ever since - a record that makes it the oldest industrial dynasty in the world.
The UK has long been one of Beretta’s most important international markets, and Ragley Hall provided a suitably grand stage. Guests arriving at the Palladian mansion were greeted by the ceremonial firing of the hall’s historic cannons, lit by Simon West, Oskar Waktare and Carlo Gussalli Beretta to launch the celebrations in a cloud of smoke and applause.
FULL STORY: PAGE 10