Settebello armchairs by Gio Ponti and Giulio Minoletti

During the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, Italy set on a difficult yet fast-paced recover from the horror and destruction of WW2. The conflict had completely devastated a country that was already on the way to become a modern nation: high expressions of architecture, design and engineering had already showed the world what Italy was capable of. Now, they had to start again from scratch.

One of the crucial points of the national rebirth was connecting the country from North to South, from East to West: that’s where the train came into play. In true Italian fashion, it was not just any train, but one of the most amazing and futuristic trains the world had ever seen. Penned in a seamless, streamlined body, with two symmetrical observation decks for passengers at each end, a raised control cabin and the highest level of elegance and comfort in each class, the Settebello and Arlecchino trains traveled across the country for three decades, becoming a true symbol of the “Boom” and creating indelible memories for any Italian who spotted them on tracks.

The interiors of both trains were curated by a team of architects and designers, some of the greatest Italy ever had: amongst them, Gio Ponti and Giulio Minoletti were responsible for the furniture of first and second class. Now, since the train was conceived more as a moveable living room rather than a regular rail convoy, passengers would sit in comfortable and contemporary armchairs: upholstered in blue/green fabric, with brass feet and an ingenuous integrated ashtray, the chairs were produced by Officine Breda in Milano.

The offered chairs, coming from a Settebello train, have been covered in a brown fabric upholstery; the original blue fabric with light blue piping is preserved underneath, but they need to be restored. Extremely rare, and showing only cosmetic damage, they in strong structural conditions and have an incredible potential that can be uncovered with the touch of a skilled restorer.