Sotirios Voulgaris (1857 - 1932), or Sotirio Bulgari in Italian (Σωτήριος Βουλγάρης in Greek), was a Greek silversmith and distinguished businessman,[1] [2] who founded the company Bulgari (or Bvlgari) which flourished in business in Italy, and later internationally in the area of gold- and silversmithing and fashion accessory.[3] [4]
He was born on March 18, 1857, in Paramythia, Thesprotia, (then under the Ottoman Empire), where he spent his childhood.
He originated from the village of Kalarrytes, which at the time was the largest silversmithing center in the Balkans. He was one of the eleven children of his father, Georgios Voulgaris (1823–1889), and his Greek mother with Aromanian roots, Eleni Struggaris. Sotirios ultimately was the only one who survived of all his siblings.
Inspired by his grandfather, Konstantinos, Voulgaris became a silversmith, first making belts and then earrings, sword cases and silver buttons. He had both talent and passion and thus he became active professionally and timidly began the profession of goldsmith - silversmith in the villages of Epirus, while together with his father they traveled from the area of Epirus (today Greece) to Albania to sell their creations.
In Paramythia he opened his first silversmithing workshop with the help of his father.[5] Then, due to the difficulties arising from the cold and political unrest, but also the bad situation due to the Ottoman occupation, his father suggested that they leave the country and find a place where they could work in peace and create a business.
They ended up settling in Corfu. In Corfu in 1888 he married Eleni Baziou, with whom he had six children, Konstantinos-Georgio (1889–1973), Leonidas-Georgio (1890–1966), Maria-Athina (1891–1976), Sofia (1893–1908), Alexandra (1895–1984) and Spyridon (1897–1932).
Soon they left for Naples.
The family established their first store in Naples, but they faced difficulties due to robberies and eventually closed the store.
Then in 1881 they moved to Rome and in 1884, they opened their first shop in Via Sistina 85, and then they opened a second shop in Via Sistina, inspired by Charles Dickens' novel. Shortly after, they created the main store in Via dei Condotti together with his two sons, Constantino and Giorgio.In 1905, he opened the store on Condotti Street, which would become the company's main store. In its early years, his company, Bulgari, became known for silver pieces that incorporated elements from Byzantine and Islamic art, combining them with floral motifs. At the time, Paris was the center of fashion and creativity and greatly influenced Bulgari's designs. Jewelry from the 1920s included platinum Art Deco settings, while pieces from the 1930s had geometric diamond patterns, often combined with colored gemstones.
Sotirios Voulgaris died in 1932, leaving his business to his two sons, Giorgio (1890–1966) and Constantino (1889–1973), who both had a great interest in precious stones and jewelry. The company expanded and eventually established 4 stores, while growing rapidly over the following decades.
After his death, his son took over the management of the company together with his cousin, Marina. During the 1970s, the first Bulgari stores opened abroad, including in cities such as New York, Paris, Monte Carlo and Geneva, while the brand began to gain global fame with famous artists and actors wearing its jewelry at public events and on the big screen.[6]
The evolution continues, with Sotirios' grandsons Paolo and Nicola Bulgari taking over the company in 1984. CEO Francesco Trapani expands the brand with the launch of fragrances in the 1990s, making Bulgari known worldwide as a luxury brand.
In 2011, Louis Vuitton acquired the company for €4.3 billion, with the Bulgari family retaining the majority stake in LVMH. The company is currently estimated to be worth 7.49 billion euros. Today, Paolo Bulgari (born 1937), an Italian businessman and grandson of Sotirios Voulgaris, is the chairman of the company Bvlgari.