THE TESTIMONY OF AL IDRISI

“To the west of Termini lies the Trabia conurbation, a charming site, rich in perennial waters and mills, with  a beautiful plain and vast estates where they produced itrìya in such quantity as to supply, in addition to the  Calabrian cities, the Muslim and Christian territories where large loads were sent”. 1154 a.C., Al-Idrisi. This  is an Arabic text excerpt from the book titled «The book of Rogers» (Nuzhat al mushtaq li ikhtirag al alag  Kitab = the book of those who delight) written by the Moroccan geographer Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn  Muhammad ibn Idris, better known as Al Idrisi.

This book text was given to the Norman King of Sicily. The  Arabs have always been innovators and experimenters and had identified in Sicily the ideal location for the  production of pasta, of «itriya».

The word “itriya”, in fact, takes its name from the ancient Arabic “itryah”  which means “flat bread cut into strips”.

THE TALE OF TRADITION

Pasta could not have been born anywhere but the place with the lightest exposure in all of Europe, the  island where the sun and climate are unique in the world and favored the cultivation of grain since  antiquity.

The numerous perennial streams flowing between Palermo and Cefalù were necessary to power  the many mills that served to grind the grain. Today our Artisanal pasta factory called Donna itriya is located  nearby in Casteldaccia, at the heart of Sicily’s most important pasta producing district of the 20th century. 

This was the historic residence of Duke Enrico Maria Alliata of Villafranca, a nobleman known for being an  epicurean and writer, and the last owner of Casteldaccia’s workshops.

Here, the scent of Sicilian durum  wheat flour mixed with the unmistakable unique essence of the salty sea air and with the heady scents of  grape must from the historic wine cellars.

It’s from here that the products of our territory reached the port  of Termini Imerese were shipped to America for Sicilians overseas.  

0 Emanuele De Stefano_-Litorale di Casteldaccia (1857)

THE ANCIENT PASTA ROAD

Today, the history of pasta starts over Casteldaccia along the ‘Via Della Pasta’ thanks to the local pasta making tradition.

After centuries, Donna itriya brings back to life the miracle of that first pasta, born right  here, between the sea and the hills once inhabited by the Saracens. That same pasta that the elders talk  about in the tales of awe and wonder they have passed down to us.

Still today the pasta is made of 100%  Sicilian wheat, a precious gift from our incredible land. It is mixed with pure water and dried with the  patience of those who have always crafted it, along with the fresh sea air. A unique pasta, born from  tradition and Sicilian innovation, which represents excellence the world over.

THE VOCATION OF THE TERRITORY

The long tradition of pasta makers demonstrates how this territory is suitable for the transformation of  wheat into pasta. The climate, the water, the artisanal method gained from the population.

The territory of  Casteldaccia has always been chosen for high quality production. Donna itriya takes up the baton, bringing  this ancient knowledge back to life, mixing it with the most advanced production technologies.

The result is  an entrepreneurial vision aimed at the future, with the aim of promoting gastronomic, cultural and  historical excellence. 

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