It was 1907 when Francesco Andreani, Leone Ascoli, Francesco Buitoni and Annibale Spagnoli founded Società Perugina for making comfits. By 1915 the small business had become an industry, expanding the range with sweets, chocolate and cocoa powder. In 1917, the company launched the Luisa chocolate bar, named after Annibale's wife. This became the company's flagship along with the Bacio Perugina chocolates and Rossana sweets. In 1923, the Buitoni family took control of the company and the name became simply Perugina. The sweet chain lengthened over time, adding boxed chocolates and other chocolate bars. The brand expanded abroad and in 1973 Buitoni Perugina (Ibp) was born. In 1991 Nestlé arrived and along came Collezione Perugina: Baci in Rosso, dark chocolate and cherry in liqueur; in white and milk chocolate; the Nudi, without wrappers, simply boxed. Dessert and patisserie lines flank a gluten-free range.
