The I.G.P. Grape Italy of Canicattì

Between the hills of the provinces of Agrigento and Caltanissetta, characterized by a mild climate, since the beginning of the 70s the production of Italy grapes began to become real business. In Canicattì and the surrounding area it was soon realized that only with a wide-ranging entrepreneurial project would it be possible to launch a product of exceptional quality such as the table grape called "Italia" to international markets.
Today the Italia di Canicattì grape, unique in taste, with a sweet fruit of medium-large size, a golden-yellow color and a fleshy and crunchy pulp, occupies with arrogance the tables of all the countries of the European Union, and is a of the primary sources of income of a productive and resourceful city.

For Sicilians, the Italy grape is also a symbol of united Europe. When the Canicattì producers started their first contacts with commercial operators in central and northern Europe, Maastricht was still a long way off. However, the relationship between the consumers of the European countries themselves and the typical fruit of the Agrigento area was well established.
Today the Italian grape, a natural resource, is an important promotional vehicle for the city and the territory that is making Canicattì affirm itself also for the production of refined and quality white wine.
It is the sun, which is reflected on the calcareous soils, which guarantees excellent ripeness to the vine. It is thanks to its uniqueness that the Italia grape was the first in all of Europe to have been recognized with the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). Quality mark that is attributed to those agricultural and food products for which a certain quality, reputation or other characteristic depends on the geographical origin, and whose production, processing and / or processing takes place in a specific geographical area . Those who produce Igp must comply with the strict production rules established in the production regulations and compliance with these rules is guaranteed by a control body.

The Phoenicians in the first millennium BC spread the cultivation of table grapes among the Mediterranean peoples. It was the Romans who expanded it further and made it a symbol of splendor, regardless of the different varieties. For them grape must or table grape was almost the same thing.
The name of the city has Arab origins, but the first historical certainties can be dated to the Norman period, although in the archaeological sites, there is traces of the presence and discovery of finds dating back to the Greeks and Romans.
In the medieval period Canicattì was still a farmhouse. Around 1500, Andrea de Crescenzio da Girgenti took on the responsibility of expanding the boundaries and populating the area. Around 1600 followed a period of building splendor and then, around 1800, the participation with several men in the Garibaldian enterprise. In the meantime agriculture was developing, up to the production of grapes Italy, which brought the city to international economic levels and pushed the local entrepreneurs to focus everything on this sector.
In Canicattì there is a fair availability of historical and monumental assets. To the numerous sacred buildings are added the Bonanno Castle, the Social Theater, the Villa Comunale and the Clock Tower, places worthy of a careful look. The most important church is the one dedicated to San Pancrazio, which houses various works of art, starting with the marble statue representing the Ecce Homo and the one depicting the Holy Family. Among the monumental assets and works of art, do not forget to turn your gaze on the vast countryside that surrounds the city and remember that this is the most important wealth.

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