Pasta di Gragnano
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To tell the story of Gragnano and the production of its prized pasta is tantamount to being a witness and messenger of a glorious past, a flourishing present and the great future of "real" quality pasta in the world.
It is in Gragnano that the stories of pasta are rooted in ancient times... united by an extraordinary passion for the art of baking. Superb pasta makers have managed to pass down emotions from generation to generation, along with small—and large—magical secrets, transforming two simple natural elements—the finest durum wheat semolina and the clear spring water of the Monti Lattari—into a unique and incomparable product! Once upon a time, in the central Piazza Trivione, the best grains were jealously and shrewdly exchanged by the "sanzari," from which the term "senzalia" originates. In the evocative, unspoiled natural setting of the lush valley, kissed by the Vernotico River, more than 30 watermills have been grinding the finest grains since the late 13th century.
Traces of medieval walls, five Saracen towers and two portals marking the entrance to the fiefdom of Gragnano are still visible today, along with a 12th-century castle and church, and the only Napoleonic arch in Campania, which testifies to the history of this beautiful town in the heart of the Monti Lattari, perfectly situated between the Gulf of Amalfi and Sorrento.
Life was already hectic and joyful back then; all the streets were crisscrossed by impressive columns of wagons full of sacks of durum wheat semolina, from which intoxicating scents rose, the snorting of the horses mingled with the imaginative legends of the wagon drivers, pasta dancing in the rhythm of the winds, the grins of the children collecting the broken pasta, the young Fusillaie singing of love... the trumpets of the street vendors... Every day was a fantastic festival.
This fairytale atmosphere, the wisdom and experience of the mill workers, became a true heritage: the genuine art of "Maccarunaro 'e Gragnano" was born. Handmade pasta is alive, the symbol of a town, a precious gift, a topic discussed day and night, and something every Gragnanese, just like today, is proud of! Since the second half of the 17th century, numerous writings have documented the many family-run factories where the "famous maccheroni" were produced.
The wind coming from the Monti Lattari and the Gulf of Sorrento created a slightly humid microclimate, ideal for long and gentle drying at low temperatures. As if by magic, between the 18th and 19th centuries, the first large macaroni factories sprang up along the old Corso Sancio (now Via Roma), in Piazza Trivione, and on Via San Marco, becoming the vibrant heart of Gragnano.
In the 19th century, streets and buildings were specifically designed and constructed with diagonal orientations to channel gentle breezes and promote the drying of pasta along the streets and on balconies. The enthusiasm and imagination of the pasta makers drove them to invent ever new shapes, inspired by everyday stories, giving a strong boost to the already flourishing industry.
During these years, Gragnano became a major player on the global stage thanks to its 100 pasta factories. The Americas, Australia, France, England, and Germany were among the most important export destinations; no emigrant's suitcase was complete without a valuable "cuoppo" of pasta, while the factories proudly displayed their gold medals, won at international exhibitions, on their labels.
In 1872, the Gragnano city council was able to proudly announce: "Gragnano is the land of a hundred long pasta factories, the land that has been awarded gold medals at the last Italian and foreign exhibitions, the land that exports its products to all parts of the world."
The peak was reached in the second half of the 19th century, so that in 1885 King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy had the railway station built, which connected Gragnano with Naples and promoted the transport of goods.
Despite the various problems caused by world wars and earthquakes, Gragnano remains the great "city of pasta", the only IGP and the absolute protagonist on the world market for pasta, whose knowledge and flavors, recalling 500 years of history, are a surge of fantastic emotions!
