Antica Dolceria Bonajuto facts for kids

The Antica Dolceria Bonajuto is a famous chocolate shop. It was started in Modica, Sicily, in 1880. This makes it the oldest chocolate factory in Sicily. It is also one of the oldest in all of Italy. Many famous people from around the world have visited this special place.

History

Gesualdo Bufalino.

In 1820, Vincenzo Bonajuto passed away early. He left behind ten children. His oldest son, Francesco Ignazio, used the family's money. He started different businesses.

In the early 1800s, the Bonajuto family sold ice. They worked in the Hyblaean Mountains. Later, they decided to focus on making pastries. They became very good at making chocolate.

In 1853, Federico Bonajuto bought a special mill. He was Francesco Ignazio's son. He used the mill to grind cocoa beans. He made a bitter chocolate paste. He called his workshop "fattojo del ciccolatte."

Leonardo Sciascia.

In 1880, Francesco Bonajuto opened the shop we know today. It was first called Caffè Roma. It was a place where people with new ideas met. In 1992, its name changed to Antica Dolceria Bonajuto.

Since the early 1990s, the company has helped Modica. It has brought more visitors to the town. People come for the food and culture. The company helped bring back Modica's chocolate tradition. This tradition had been almost forgotten.

Franco Ruta was the owner of the chocolate shop. He made Modica chocolate famous again. This happened in the late 1990s. He appeared on TV shows. These included a show with Maurizio Costanzo in 1999. He was also on Omnibus (talk show) in 2002. He helped make the chocolate known around the world.

Many important people have visited the chocolate shop. These include the writer Leonardo Sciascia. His friend and fellow writer, Gesualdo Bufalino, also visited. Bufalino won big literary awards. Other visitors were Raffaele Poidomani, a writer. The actor Alessandro Quasimodo also came. He is the son of Nobel Prize winner Salvatore Quasimodo. The historian Giuseppe Barone was also a guest.

Journalists from famous newspapers have also visited. Raymond Walter Apple Jr. from New York Times came in 1999. Frederika Randall from the Wall Street Journal visited in 2002. She interviewed Franco Ruta. Lucinda Hawksley wrote an article for BBC News about the shop.

Awards and acknowledgments

In 1911, Francesco Bonajuto's chocolates won a gold medal. This was at the Turin International exhibition. It was held with other big shows. Bonajuto also won an award in Rome.

In 2014, a newspaper called Il Sole 24 Ore honored the company. They listed it among 10 old Italian companies. These companies "improve the Italian economy in the world."

In 2017, the Associazione Franco Ruta was started. This group honors Franco Ruta.

See also

In Spanish: Antica Dolceria Bonajuto para niños List of bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturers