On the 29th March 1946, a new invention that would revolutionise the lives of Italians was unveiled in Rome for the first time in history: the Piaggio Vespa. The innovative moped was designed by Corradino D'Ascanio, an engineer from Popoli in Abruzzo, and was launched on the market by Piaggio, a company founded in 1884 in Sestri Ponente (Genoa) by Rinaldo Piaggio.

In its early years, Piaggio was mainly involved in aeronautics, the war industry and rail vehicles, but gradually shifted its production towards a more commercial environment. D'Ascanio's patent marked a real turning point for the Ligurian industry, which had been seriously affected by the destruction of some factories by bombing during World War II, and led to its success and rise on the Italian and international markets.