Averna

Salvatore Averna was born into a well-off family of textile merchants in 1802. He grew up in the industrious city of Caltanissetta and became one of the most active members of the community; he was Judge Peace and benefactor of the Convent of St.Spirito’s Abbey. According to a very ancient tradition which originated in the fortified Benedictine abbeys, and afterwards spread all over Europe by Cistercian and Cluniac convents, the friars produced a herbal elixir following a secret recipe. Although the elixir tasted “bitter”, it was good and, according to the popular belief, it possessed some tonic and therapeutic quality. In 1859, as a token of gratitude, the friars decided to hand the recipe for the infusion over to Salvatore, and in 1868 he started the production for the Averna household guests.

It was Francesco Averna, Salvatore’s son, who decided to make the Averna bitter renowned by presenting it at different fairs in Italy and abroad. By 1895, the Sicilian liqueur was already well-known. During a private visit to king Umberto I in the same year, Francesco received a golden brooch with the insignia of the Savoy House.

In 1912, after another series of successes, Vittorio Emanuele III bestowed the Company Averna the right to print the royal coat-of-arms with the inscription “Royal Household Patent” on the bitter-liqueur label. Averna became the official supplier of the Royal Household. All these acknowledgements, over the years, led Francesco to re-design the first liqueur label by adding all these certificates and prizes. Francesco died quite early and his wife, Anna Maria, took the reins of the firm. Though she was soon helped by her young sons, she represented an exceptional case of a female entrepreneur in the heart of Sicily during the early XX century.


The third generation of the Averna family, i.e. Francesco’s sons: Salvatore, Paolo, Emilio and Michele, consolidated the success of the liqueur and contributed to the development of the company despite the strain of two world wars. The production not only continued at full steam but the brothers also managed to open up their export markets to America. In 1958, Averna became a public company (Fratelli Averna S.p.A.) and a few years later a new factory was built.

1978 was also a significant year for the history of the company: after 110 years and three generations of Averna, what originally started as a family pastime, turned into a product which has by now become the leader of the Italian market. Since 1978 to the present day the Averna’s fourth generation that still manages the company, has maintained that leading market position, consolidating it even further, through a management also geared towards the diversification of the products. Today the Averna Group also embodies the Friulian wine farm Villa Frattina (which produces wines, grappa and sparkling wines Frattina) and the Piedmont confectioner Pernigotti. During the last decade the strengthening on the Italian market was also supported by intensive internationalization work which has seen growing development on foreign export markets as well.

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Averna - Amaro