[1] In 1820, a branch of the Swiss Dapples family, French-speaking and Protestant, moved from Lausanne to Genoa to better develop their economic activities, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Ligurian context of the time.
Through the company Dapples & C., the family diversified its investments into strategic sectors such as banking, mining, and naval industries, accumulating a significant portfolio of equity holdings.
Henri Dapples played a particularly active role in Grezzano, where Edmond gifted him Villa al Monte, a residence that became central to his life in Tuscany.
These efforts laid the foundation for sustainable forestry in the region, influencing later post-World War II reforestation campaigns that sought to restore wooded areas devastated by military deforestation along the Gothic Line.
Today, the legacy of the Dapples family remains deeply embedded in Grezzano, with historical documents and artifacts preserving their contributions to the region’s agricultural and environmental history.