Vicini - Juan Bautista Vicini

Juan Bautista Vicini

Juan Bautista Vicini Canepa, was born on February 25, 1847 in Zoagli, a coastal village near Genoa to Angelo Vicini and Anna Canepa. Vicini left Italy and went to the Dominican Republic in 1860 at the age of 12. He was invited to travel to the Dominican Republic as an apprentice to join his countryman Nicole Genevaro who was an exporter of coffee and sugar. After a few years, he purchased the operations belonging to Mr. Genevaro.

Juan Bautista, better known as "Baciccia", was very successful in business. Thanks in part to his hard work and his savings, he managed to acquire land for the cultivation of sugar cane.

His family residence is located on the Avenida Isabela la Católica No. 158, in the city of Santo Domingo, marked with a placard reading J.B. Vicini. This designation is still preserved on the facades of headquarters of companies belonging to the family. This residence was his place of work. Locals gave it the name Casa Vicini.

Eleven children were born of his marriage to Laura Perdomo Santamaria. Seven of them went to live with her to Genoa, Italy. Vicini Canepa, patriarch of the Vicini family, returned only once to Italy and died in 1900 at the age of 53.