Revenue of Edizione, the family's holding company, rose to almost 18 billion euros last year with the groups it controls employing around 100,000 people.

* 1955 - Luciano, the eldest of the four Benetton siblings, begins to sell the colourful sweaters his sister Giuliana is creating at home in Treviso, in the northeast of Italy.

* 1965 - Luciano, Giuliana and their younger brothers Gilberto and Carlo found the eponymous clothing group with its first factory in the small town of Ponzano Veneto.

* 1978 - The apparel group launches a mayor expansion campaign abroad and exports reach 60% of production.

* 1981 - The Edizione holding company is created. It is controlled by the four founders and their families, through four more holding companies.

* 1982 - Benetton Group hires photographer Oliviero Toscani, whose distinctive advertising campaigns makes the United Colors of Benetton brand globally known.

* 1986 - Clothing group Benetton is listed on the Milan stock exchange.

* 1995 - Edizione buys a stake in Italian caterer Autogrill in one of the first Italian privatisations, as the group starts to diversify its business.

* 2000 - State-owned toll-road operator Autostrade per l'Italia is privatised and Edizione and other investors buy a 30% stake.

* 2003 - Edizione makes a tender offer for Autostrade shares, increasing its stake to around 84% of the company, which later changes its name to Atlantia.

* 2005 - Edizione expands in the airport business, which years later will merge with Atlantia.

* 2012 - Edizione delists Benetton group to relaunch the clothing unit.

* 2018 (March) - Atlantia buys a 15.5% stake in the Channel tunnel operator Getlink.

* 2018 (July) - Edizione buys a stake in the Spanish telecoms masts group Cellnex.

* 2018 (July) - Carlo Benetton, the youngest of the four siblings, dies.

* 2018 (August) - A bridge in Italy, operated by an Atlantia subsidiary, collapses, killing 43 people. Italy's government pledges to revoke concessions held by Atlantia's subsidiary to operate toll highways.

* 2018 (October) - Gilberto Benetton, who masterminded the family empire's diversification, dies at the age of 77.

* 2018 (October) - Atlantia completes the acquisition of Spanish toll-road operator Abertis.

* 2020 (July) - Benetton-led Atlantia prepares to gradually exit from Autostrade, making room for state lender CDP, to settle a dispute over its highway concession.

(Reporting by Elisa Anzolin; Editing by Toby Chopra)