History of Italian chocolatier and confectionery Perugina

Perugina is an Italian chocolatier and confectionery based in Perugia (Umbria), Italy. The company was founded in 1907, but it was acquired by Swiss-based multinational food and beverage company Nestle in 1988.

This company was founded by four partners, including Francesco Buitoni one of the founder of the Buitoni food company.  By 1922, the company employed about 400 workers, 300 of them women.

In 1922, the company launched its famous Bacio Perugina and between the wars expanded rapidly to become a leader in the sector of chocolate and sweets production.

Both Buitoni and Perugina expanded internationally in the 1930s, first to France and then to the United States with further expansion after World War II.

Perugina Chocolate House founded in Perugia in 2007, where visitors may discover the origins of chocolate, the black gold of the Maya; learn the art of chocolate making; and the history of the Perugina brand.

Perugina’s most popular products in the United States are its Baci, (which means ‘kisses’ in Italian), composed of chocolate and hazelnuts.
History of Italian chocolatier and confectionery Perugina