La Serenísima Took Its Name from a Wartime Italian Squadron
The origins of La Serenísima predate Antonino Mastellone’s first cheese production in General Rodríguez, Buenos Aires province. According to the institutional history of Mastellone Hermanos, the brand’s name refers to La Serenissima, an Italian squadron commanded by writer and aviator Gabriele D’Annunzio during the First World War.
The formation flew over Vienna and dropped leaflets rather than explosives, according to the company account. The episode made an impression on Mastellone when he was young, and he later decided that he would use the name for a business of his own.
Mastellone arrived in Argentina from Italy during the 1920s and settled in General Rodríguez. He began by making ricotta and mozzarella, transporting the products by train to Buenos Aires. Sales were concentrated around the port and San Telmo, areas with sizeable Italian immigrant communities familiar with those cheeses.
Mastellone married Teresa Aiello on October 29th 1929. The company subsequently adopted that date as the official founding date of La Serenísima. A further milestone came in 1935, when Mastellone bought his first truck and painted “La Serenissima” on it, initially retaining the Italian spelling with two s’s. The name was later adapted into Spanish as La Serenísima.
After Mastellone died in 1952, his son Pascual took over the company. Under his management, the business expanded its industrial and commercial activities. It later added products and production capacity, growing from a family operation focused on fresh cheeses into a dairy company selling milk, cheese, butter and other derivatives.
Family control ended nearly a century after the business was founded. In April 2025, Arcor and Danone announced their intention to buy the stake in Mastellone Hermanos still held by the founding family and the Dallpoint fund; the transaction was not yet complete at that stage. In March 2026, a company linked to Arcor and Danone acquired the remaining 51.323%, giving it full ownership of Mastellone Hermanos. Months later, the companies began reorganising their dairy businesses under a joint structure.
