Which family controls the Italian food company Barilla Group?

The Barilla family controls the Italian food company Barilla Group, one of the world’s best-known pasta manufacturers.

The business began in Parma in 1877, when Pietro Barilla opened a shop and bakery. Its growth was driven by industrial pasta production, national distribution and later international expansion. Barilla’s portfolio includes dry pasta, sauces, bakery products and crispbread, with brands sold across many countries.

The company’s ownership history includes an important break. In the 1970s, the Barilla family sold the business to W. R. Grace, an American company. Guido, Luca and Paolo Barilla later led the effort to reacquire it, restoring family ownership. This detail distinguishes Barilla from many other famous Italian food brands that are divisions of larger multinational corporations. The family name is both the answer to the ownership question and the brand name consumers see on pasta packages.