Montecatini was an important Italian chemicals company founded in 1888. It was called: quasi-monopolost of the Italian chemical Industry in the time between World War I and the end of World War II. Problems lead to a merge with the Edison company in 1966 forming the Montedison company.

History

The company was founded as small mining business in Montecatini Val di Cecina

Montecatini Val di Cecina

Montecatini Val di Cecina is a small hilltown and comune in the province of Pisa in Tuscany . Located approximatively 60 km south of Pisa, the medieval town sits on the Poggio la Croce hill overlooking the Cecina Valley and the larger hilltown of Volterra, which lies just 15 km...

 operating a copper pyrite

Pyrite

The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its resemblance to gold...

 mine in 1888.
The production increased and a shift from copper ore production to pyrite production as starting material for sulfuric acid production when Guido Donegani

Guido Donegani

Guido Donegani, , an engineer from Torino Polytechnic, 1901, Senator of the Kingdom of Italy in 1943...

 was made director in 1910.

Large amounts of sulfuric acid

Sulfuric acid

Sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...

 are used for the production of superphosphate fertilizer

Fertilizer

Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...

s and therefore Montecatini expanded into this business. by 1920 the company acquired the two largest phosphate fertilizer producers Unione Concimi  and Colla e Concimi. The company became dominant in chemical industry of Italy during the time of Fascist Italy

Fascist Italy

"Fascist Italy" refers to Italy under the rule of Benito Mussolini and Italian Fascism. The Fascists led two polities:*The Kingdom of Italy , under the National Fascist Party, and,...

.