Paris – The creations of Antonio Cappadonia, a Sicilian master ice cream maker from Cerda (Palermo), have landed in France, at the Italian Consulate General in Paris. The founder of Cappadonia Gelati created lemon and pomegranate granitas at the diplomatic headquarters in the French capital, made using the ancient Sicilian technique from the 1600s that employed "neviere" (icehouses).
"I am honored to represent Italy in this prestigious event," said ice cream maker Cappadonia. "It was an opportunity to showcase our centuries-old technique of making granitas and sorbets using a mixture of snow and salt: a method rooted in the territory and craftsmanship that every third Sunday of July I love to recreate in the icehouse of Piano Principessa in the Madonie mountains."

The event was hosted by General Consul Jacopo Albergoni, with numerous guests, including political, business, and cultural figures from France, such as Guillaume Gomez, chef to the last four French presidents and recently appointed ambassador of French cuisine worldwide.

Cappadonia also shared the story of Francesco Procopio Cutò, a Palermo native who became the first ambassador of Sicilian gelato in France. In the 17th century, Procopio, who had emigrated to Paris, brought with him the "cold technology" of snow and salt, founding in 1686 what would become the first literary café in the world: Café-Glacier “Le Procope,” which later became a national monument in French and American culture.