THE GOLD OF NAPLES

An excellent production, rooted in ancient tradition. Gragnano, a short distance from the city of Castellammare di Stabia, is known all over the world as the "city of the pasta." Here, in the sixteenth century, the first family-run pasta factory opened and their fame spread so much so that Ferdinand of Bourbon appointed them official suppliers of his court. The secret of such a special pasta? It is not just one, but a combination of factors: the quality of the farmland where the grain is grown, the purity of water that flows from the springs of mountain Faito, the mild and humid climate which aids the slow drying and, last but not least, the skilled craftsmen who have handed down their craft from father to son. An essential feature of Gragnano pasta is the bronze drawing, which gives the surface roughness necessary to retain the best condiments.