31It has been dazzling young and old alike for hundreds of years. The historic Ruggieri company, based near Toulouse, designs impressive fireworks displays all over the world. A look back at a family saga that has put its art at the service of celebrations.
In the 1730s, the five Ruggieri brothers left Bologna in Italy to conquer France. In 1739, Pierre, François, Antoine, Petroni and Gaëtan were commissioned to perform at the Versailles court. The family team put on an incredible fireworks display at Versailles to celebrate the marriage of Madame, one of Louis XV’s eight daughters, to the Infante Philippe of Spain. At the same time, the eldest son, Petronio, was appointed King’s Artificer by Louis XV. He received a handsome pension and the Porcherons estate, an imposing building in Paris, where in 1766 he opened the Jardin Ruggieri, offering shows and fireworks.
Artificers called upon by the nobility
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the courts of Europe called on Ruggieri for their celebrations and public festivities. In 1770, a fireworks display was fired in Paris in honor of the union between the future Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Gaëtan worked for George II, King of England. Queen Victoria is also a client.
See this publication on Instagram
A publication shared by Ruggieri Fireworks (@ruggieri_fireworks)
The family intends to pass on its knowledge to its descendants. Michel and Claude (Petroni’s sons) became the successive fireworks makers for Napoleon, Louis XVIII and Charles X. Claude’s son Désiré was in charge of the Second Empire’s official fireworks, while Michel’s son François was fireworks officer to the Viceroy of Egypt, Mehemet Ali. When the First World War broke out, the company took part in the war effort, manufacturing rocket propellants.
The modern era under the aegis of the Lacroix Group
In the 70s, two explosions destroyed the Ruggieri factory in Monteux, killing several employees. In the following decade, competition with Lacroix intensified. This historic company, which had won numerous medals at world fairs, bought Ruggieri in 1997. The firm then combined the two names, Lacroix-Ruggieri, before reverting to Ruggieri 15 years later. The alliance of these two areas of expertise further strengthened the company’s reputation.
See this publication on Instagram
A publication shared by Ruggieri Fireworks (@ruggieri_fireworks)
“Starting fires is a very heavy responsibility,” mentions Mathieu Barès, sixth generation of the Lacroix family business from Toulouse, in an interview with Le Figaro. “It’s also very emotional. Everything has to be checked and perfected, as if we were following a musical score. There’s no question of making a false note or missing a move. Every bomb or rocket fired and every color used gives a particular meaning to the pyrotechnic choreography we offer the public. There’s no room for error. Otherwise, we wouldn’t deserve our nickname of ‘sky painters’!
Thanks to 350 trained pyrotechnicians a year and 2,500 pyrotechnicians deployed in the field, 6,000 fireworks displays are fired every year. Ruggieri is responsible for many of the July 14th fireworks displays (which account for a large proportion of the company’s sales), notably in Paris, but also in Toulouse, Lyon, Carcassonne, Bordeaux and La Rochelle.
In 2013, 2014 and 2015, Ruggieri orchestrated the National Holiday or New Year’s Eve in Dubai (United Arab Emirates), at the Burj Al Arab, and the opening ceremony of the 2017 World Expo in Astana, Kazakhstan.
See this publication on Instagram
A publication shared by Ruggieri Fireworks (@ruggieri_fireworks)
The company also operates at concerts (Johnny Halliday, Céline Dion, Rihanna, U2, Bon Jovi, Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Metallica…), festivals in China, Japan, Canada and Switzerland, and sporting events such as the African Cup of Nations Ceremony in Gabon, the Indian Ocean Islands Games Ceremony in Madagascar, the French Football Cup at the Stade de France and the World Ski Championships in Sestriere, Italy. Ruggieri’s portfolio also includes inaugurations, cultural events, commemorations and private parties.
Pyrotechnic shows that continue to dazzle audiences and light up night skies. Pyrotechnicians have not only revolutionized the world of entertainment with their innovations and infallible techniques, they are also thinking about sustainability. Bordeaux’s July 14th fireworks display was a case in point, using no heavy metals and emitting far fewer fine particles. Free from plastic, aluminum and lead, this firework embodied the future of the segment, more concerned with its environmental impact.
Read also: The Poilâne family of bakers: flour in the blood
Featured Photo: © Unsplash
