The village of Varenna was founded in 769 by a local fisherman. It is located on Lake Como about 60 kilometers north of Milan. It is served by a train on the Tirano-Lecco railway. Giovanni Battista Pirelli came from Varenna. In 1872 he established one of the most famous companies specializing in tires production. The fame of Pirreli name began in 1907 during the Beijing-Paris rally. The winners of the rally were using tires produced by the Pirrelli’s company.