(Alliance News) - In Rome, at 28 Via Barberini, there is not even a nameplate. This is the headquarters of FGC, an unlisted holding company that controls assets with a consolidated net worth of EUR6.3 billion and an operating margin close to half a billion.
The initials refer to Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone, born in 1943. Via Barberini is also where it all began: a rental income obtained by his widowed mother in the post-war years.
As Corriere della Sera reported on Monday, from there the Caltagirone Group developed, now active in cement, construction, real estate, and publishing, with strategic stakes in Generali (6.2%), Acea (5.5%), and MPS (10.2%). Due to his stake in the bank, Caltagirone is among those under investigation in the probe into MPS's attempted takeover of Mediobanca.
The first key moment dates back to the Roman construction boom: in 1966, the young Caltagirone secured the right to build three apartment blocks near Villa Doria Pamphilj. Real estate remains one of the group's pillars: in FGC's balance sheet, property investments are valued at EUR1.79 billion, with assets in Rome, Milan, Naples, Spain, and Turkey.
In 2024, revenues from the unlisted real estate sector amounted to EUR95 million.
Alongside real estate, there is civil engineering and major works, with Vianini, acquired in 1984 and now led by his son Alessandro. Driven by the PNRR, the company closed the last financial year with an order book of EUR1.6 billion and revenues exceeding EUR300 million, including metro projects and major infrastructure.
The third cornerstone is cement. In 1992, Caltagirone purchased Cementir, outbidding even the Agnelli family. Today, the group operates in 18 countries and is a global leader in white cement. Led by eldest son Francesco, Cementir recorded revenues of EUR1.23 billion and a pre-tax profit of EUR183.6 million in the first nine months of 2025.
The portfolio is completed by publishing. After initial steps in the 1970s, between 1995 and 1997, Caltagirone acquired Il Messaggero, Il Mattino, and other dailies. Today, the publishing group, led by his daughter Azzurra, also includes Il Gazzettino, Corriere Adriatico, Nuovo Quotidiano di Puglia, and Leggo. In the first half of 2025, revenues were EUR51.5 million, with a profit of EUR13.4 million.
Yet, at 28 Via Barberini, the Engineer continues to prefer the absence of a nameplate: anonymity here is part of the method.
By Giuseppe Fabio Ciccomascolo, Alliance News senior reporter
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