The history of Ente Bacini is indissolubly linked to that of the Port of Genoa, which has always been the economic and commercial hub of the city.
A long tradition that is renewed and updated while pointing to the future, guaranteeing the expertise and professionalism that come from an experience born, in the heart of the Port of Genoa, more than a century ago.
OUR HISTORY
DRY DOCKS IN GENOA. A CENTURIES-OLD HISTORY
On January 20, 1888, Swiss engineer and entrepreneur Conrad Zschokke took on a contract from the Ministry of Public Works of the Kingdom of Italy to build two dry docks in the Grazie area of the port of Genoa.
On December 28, 1889, on the initiative of the same engineer Zschokke and Erasmo Piaggio, then a director of the Bank of Genoa and the Navigazione Generale Italiana company, the Società Esercizio Bacini , which began its operations in the year 1892 with the commissioning of Dock No. 2, followed in 1893 by Dock No. 1, was established.
The first two docks, still in operation today, are capable of accommodating ships up to 130 and 170 m in length and represented a major upgrade of port facilities in the ship repair sector of the Port of Genoa.
In order to accommodate the growing needs of its customers, the Società Esercizio Bacini combined the operation of docks with the operation of machine shops, and in 1897 it built the Riva Trigoso shipyard, which opened in the year 1898.
On February 19, 1925, in order to separate the operation of the docks from the machine shops, the Società Anonima Ente Bacini was established, with the participation of the Società Esercizio Bacini, the Ansaldo company, and twenty-three shipowning companies operating in the port of Genoa.
In 1928 Basin No. 3 was completed, carved out of the existing space between Basin 1 and Basin 2.
In 1931 the same dock was enlarged by more than twenty meters to hold the Rex, Italy’s largest transatlantic liner.
To meet the growing needs of the service, in 1937 the complex was expanded to four docks with the commissioning of Dock No. 4. This also attracted the interest of foreign ships, which contributed with their presence to increase the work of the Port of Genoa workshops.
Due to continued high demand and the need to accommodate larger and larger ships, a fifth dock was then built and put into operation in 1962.
Since 2007, Basins Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 have become cultural property, subject to the protection regulations stipulated by Legislative Decree No. 42/2004 at the behest of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, the existence of artistic, historical and archaeological interest having been verified.
HISTORICAL PHOTOS
