OS grid reference SJ 920 738 Designated 18 September 1973 Opened 1854 | Founded 1854 Reference no. 1291854 Established 1854 | |
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Location Macclesfield, Cheshire, England Built for Antonio Arighi, Antonio Bianchi | ||
Arighi bianchi store walkthrough
Arighi Bianchi is a furniture shop in the town of Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. It was founded in 1854 by Italian immigrants Antonio Arighi and Antonio Bianchi who originated from the village of Casnate on the shores of Lake Como.
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The shop is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building. It has a cast iron and glass frontage, and stands close to Macclesfield Station and Tesco. The four-storey shop front was inspired by Paxton’s Crystal Palace of 1851. It was the work of a local builder George Roylance. The building has much in common with the steel frame buildings of Lower Manhattan. It was saved from demolition in 1973 after a campaign supported by the Victorian Society, the Architectural Review magazine and Sir John Betjeman.
Arighi bianchi store walkthrough june 2016
History
Arighi Bianchi (pronounced a-ree-ghee bee-an-key) has been part of the furniture in Britain for over 150 years. It was in 1854 that Antonio Arighi set off from the tiny silk-weaving town of Casnate near Lake Como to escape the ravages of the Italian civil war. After crossing the Alps by toboggan of all things, Antonio A eventually pitched up in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Antonio was soon joined in the town by his nephew Antonio Bianchi and the two men swiftly set up in business as cabinet makers.
The 19th century progressed not without incident, with Arighi’s intervention helping to save the town from flooding in 1872 and the decision to move to the current site in 1883. In the early 20th century, the store supplied furniture to Marlborough House and Sandringham House, by royal appointment of Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary.