The former Aeronautica Caproni factory stands abandoned along the road to Predappio Alta, its concrete structures and glass-roofed halls recalling its role in Italian wartime aircraft production.
At a glance
The complex occupies a sloping site above a provincial road, where the ruined factory buildings face the hills outside Predappio. The contributors describe it as the Stabilimento aeronautico Caproni, an industrial heritage subject whose current administrative status remains unclear.
Key facts
- Where: Via Zoli, Predappio, Provincia di Forlì-Cesena
- What: Building
- When: 1935, according to a published source
- GPS: 44.1010, 11.9697 · Open in Google Maps
History
The factory was built where a sulphur-processing plant belonging to the Zolfi company of Milan had once stood; that earlier activity had become uncompetitive. Construction for the aeronautical factory began in 1933 and ended in 1941, according to Lost Italy. The Caproni company produced wooden and metal parts for fuselages and wings, which were then taken to the Ridolfi airfield in Forlì for final assembly and testing. Among the aircraft produced at Predappio were the Savoia-Marchetti S.81, the Caproni Ca.164, the Reggiane Re.2000, the Reggiane Re.2001, and the Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79. At its greatest expansion the factory employed around 1,400 workers. During the war, two large tunnels were dug on the other side of the road to protect materials from bombing; those galleries are now used by the University of Bologna for the CICLoPE project. After the German occupation of Italy, most of the machinery was moved north and the Caproni factory was shut down.
What you see
The photographs show a long abandoned concrete building with rows of large broken multi-pane windows, rusted frames, and ivy growing over the walls. Dense vegetation hides parts of the yellow-painted facade. Inside, a vast ruined hall retains a skeletal glass roof above concrete walls stained by weather. An orange safety net runs along the roadside. According to Stefano Vigolo, a blue sign along the road reads “1 SP 48”. The building stands on a hillside, with the production areas arranged on different levels.
Do you know more about this place?
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Nearby
- Collegio Aeronautico di Forli (Liceo Morgagni) — aeronautical training institution in the provincial capital
- Gianni Caproni Aeronautics Museum — museum dedicated to the same industrial family in Trento
- Trento Gianni Caproni Airport — airport named after the Caproni family
Gallery
Sources
- Lost Italy, Aeronautica Caproni di Predappio – Lost Italy: dates of construction, workers, aircraft types, earlier uses of the site, tunnels
- Essere Altrove, L’EX AERONAUTICA CAPRONI DI PREDAPPIO – Benvenuti su esserealtrove!: photographic and exploratory context for the abandoned factory
- Prog,res, Ex stabilimento aeronautico Caproni di Predappio. – Prog,res: 1935 start, Caproni Ca.164 production, building layout and sculptural details
- Totally Lost, Caproni aircraft factory | Totally Lost: construction year, production details, post-war use, tunnels and mushroom cultivation
- ForlìToday, Il cantiere dell’ex Caproni di Predappio: “Problematiche difficili da ignorare”: recent safety works and local concerns
- il Resto del Carlino, Ex fabbrica Caproni a rischio crolli. Stanziati 150mila euro dal Demanio: 1935 construction date, 1,400 workers, Demanio ownership, Gallerie Caproni acquired by University of Bologna for CICLoPE
- Stefano Vigolo, photographs and notes to the editorial staff (2026): identification of the subject. Not a published source
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