Frozen in time

Welcome to the birthplace of Gelato

If there is one Italian thing, unquestionably Italian, that has conquered the world it is ice cream. Already known by the ancient Romans who prepared a sort of sorbet by freezing water and fruit juices in a bowl immersed in a larger container filled with ice, this product became a distinctive product of Made in Italy and of the Mediterranean diet.

Typical of the territory from the Dolomites to Sicily, across the entire peninsula, the history of artisanal ice cream since its origin is linked to our country, especially to the culinary creativity of the Italians, who have spread the tradition in Europe and in the rest of the world. The real triumph of the cold dessert takes place in the sixteenth century, at the Medici court of Florence. In fact, during the Renaissance, sorbets have a place of honor at parties and banquets.

In 1559 then, Bernardo Buontalenti presented ‘his cream’, a creation based on zabaglione and fruit, giving rise to the famous Buontalenti ice cream, which can still be enjoyed today in the best ice cream parlours. But the real turning point in the history of artisanal ice cream, that is its marketing, is due to Francesco Procopio Dei Coltelli. He perfected the production of ice cream by adding two elements: cane sugar to sweeten it and salt to the ice.

— Cecilia Berardi