In 1948, a young Italian gunmaker man named Stefano Fausti stood at his workbench, picked up his files, and started a company. For most people, the time wouldnot have seemed propitious. During World War II, Italy had been crushed as armies ground a crimson path to Berlin. But as these armies blew up and bombed their way across the country, they also cleared the way for a new nation.

A year after V-E Day, the Italian people were asked which form of government would rule them: a kingdom or a republic, the old way or the new. When their votes were counted, the Repubblica Italiana was born.

So, Stefano Fausti had a new country and a new company. In the coming decades, both would use their traditions, talents, and vision to create a second Renaissance. Italy would see tremendous economic growth, and Fausti would become one of Europe’s most successful gunmakers.