In 2025, the Codecasa shipyard is celebrating 200 years in business, all under the management of the Codecasa family. Founded in 1825 in Viareggio by Giovanni Battisti Codecasa, the yard was then carried forward, in 1902 and during the difficult times of the Second World War, by Giovanni Battisti Codecasa, known as “Tistino”, who was able to skilfully adapt, something that revealed itself to be an excellent strategy for the business. After Tistino cam his sons, Ugo and Sandro, who worked in Viareggio during the heyday of Italian boating.

In the beginning, the business focused on building sail boats, building over 50 cargo ships, in addition to fishing boats, pontoons, canteens, and a number of other types of vessel. After Ugo’s death in 1973, the company moved into the hands of Fulvio Codecasa, a key player in the company’s success. Fulvio put into place a successful strategy of diversification, bringing Codecasa to the heart of the international panorama, combining the manufacture of working vessels with luxury motoryachts

In 1985, his daughter, Fulvia, began working in the company, followed by her sister Elena and their husbands, Ennio Buonuomo and Fabio Lofrese. Since the early 2000s, the family has continued working in the business with Fulvia and Ennio’s children, Matteo and Niccolò joining, and recently, their sister, Chiara.

Codecasa yachts

From 1973 to the 1990s, they shipyard built a number of very different yachts, like the Entrepreneur and Casabella, sailing in American waters, Fair Play (1975), a 27-metre yacht was the first in Codecasa’s now signature style, the 62-metre Luisella, the largest yacht built by Codecasa at the time, and the first to be used for charter, the Blue Velvet (1994), Charly Coppers (1996), which was the first of the new 48/51 series, and many more.

Alongside their innovative manufacturing, Codecasa also grew in the local area. In addition to Cantiere Ugo Codecasa, built in 1977, in 1982, they opened Cantiere Codecasa Due, built on the site of the old Darsena Toscana, and in 1987, they opened Cantiere Codecasa Tre, in the Nuova Darsena. Starting in 2011, they also integrated a new facility located in the Navicelli area of Pisa: a large facility with four hangars, better suited for building larger units.

In the early 2000s, Codecasa surprised everyone by stepping into the large-scale aluminium fast open sector. The first model, launched in 2004, built by Fulvio Codecasa, was named after his wife, Maria Carla. The client list, with clients from all around the world, is long, highlighting the respect and reliability of the shipyard.

In addition, the owners of various Codecasa yachts over the years, have been some of their best ambassadors: for example, Giorgio Armani, who separated from his Mariù in 2003, only to replace her in 2008 with Main, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who selected the Regina d’Italia in 2006 followed by the Regina d’Italia in 2019, Cavaliere Leonardo del Vecchio, with the Moneikos, Paolo Bulgaru, witht he 2011 Magari, and Piersilvio Berlusconi witht he 2019 Dragoluna.

Codecasa: quality, recognition and loyalty

Growing, generation after generation, this splendid story of the boating industry, carries with it, on the one hand, the weight of responsibility, but on the other, it can look back at the past and see that these results come from carefully thought out decision, a lot of courage and determination. Codecasa is not a traditional shipyard, because it has quality construction, and unparalleled product recognition, all centred around loyalty: the loyalty of clients who continue to choose the brand, loyalty with partners and loyalty to style.

Generally, a Codecasa yacht is based on the style of the one before, but improves on details, and for this reason, they prefer to use the word evolution over revolution. 200 years in business are the result of many people’s passion. The Codecasa shipyards is, to all effects and purposes, a large family, that proudly and lovingly moves forward based on the values of its founders.

By Manuela Sciandra