The alimentary revolution of 1600

From “leaf-eater” to “macaroni-eater”

A watershed in the history of Gragnano pasta factories took place in the first half of the XVII century, when in Naples and in the provincial towns the inhabitants promoted a real alimentary revolution: they became “macaroni-eater”, from “leaf- eater” Gragnano sped up its pasta production to satisfy national, regional and provincial request.

The handmade production passed to early stages of industrialization, but always based on a laborious manual skill.

It is now that consolidation of the White Art and the birth of the first dynasties of Gragnaniensis makers of pasta can be dated. The makers of pasta began to hand down orally, from father to son, the tricks of the trade to avoid a “canniata” pasta, a shapeless pasta or an acid pasta.

And it is now that the passion for the pasta production is assimilated by Gragnaniensis population’s DNA: the kneader, the skimmer, the “pacchettari” arts give identity to the gragnaniensis maccaronaro in his different functions.