Where does the for the Bianchi bikes typical blue-green color, also known as Bianchi Celeste, come from?
Modern carbon Bianchi bike in the typical color
Bianchi Specialissima from the 50's
There are different stories, some romantic and some more realistic
The color of the sky around Milan
The first theory is that one morning Edoardo Bianchi was standing outside the entrance of his factory in Milan, looking at the blue-green sky. In this periode most bikes were black or dark then, and the sky inspired him to give a unique color to his bikes.
The color of the eyes of queen Margherita of Savoye
A second theory, at least much more romantic, is that Edoardo Bianchi was invited by Queen Margherita of Savoy to teach her and the rest of the royal family how to ride a bicycle. He would have been enchanted by the light blue color of her eyes and then used this color to add color to his frames.
Edoardo Bianchi would have given her a bicycle as a gift. The Queen is said to have been so impressed that she allowed him to use the royal emblem that has been seen on every Bianchi frame since then.
Bicycle plate of Bianchi bicycles from the 50s with the emblem of the royal family
Modern bicycle picture Bianchi bicycles with royal family emblem
Color originated from surplus paint
The third theory is perhaps the most credible. Edoardo Bianchi is said to have created the typical blue-green color from a mixture of blue and gray paint, which was a surplus from a military stock from the war period.
And where does the name “Celeste” come from that is linked to this color? Celeste refers to the Latin word "Caelestis", which means heavenly.
