Sea Sicily and Soul
Dda me jurnata tu si l’onuri...
For you are the pride of my day...
Dda me jurnata tu si l’onuri...
For you are the pride of my day...
A fisherman in solitude at the end of the day, proudly contemplating his bulging nets. That’s how you should imagine Basilio Castrovinci, proudly admiring the hundreds of jars of anchovies in oil his company prepares every day.
We’re in Torrenova, a fishing village in the north of Italy’s largest island, Sicily. At the foot of the Nebrodi mountains, looking right over the enchanting view of the Aeolian Islands. This is where our company is based, the Industria Ittica Torrenovese, established in 2010.
But it’s more than just a company, it’s a family: the Castrovinci. The two stories are so tightly interwoven you can’t help but recognise one in the distinctive features of the other.
While he was still a little boy, Basilio Castrovinci began working in the fishing industry alongside his father Salvatore and his uncle Giovanni. After finishing his studies and enjoying a rewarding experience in Australia, he came back to Italy and founded the current company which his two sons, Salvatore and Stefano, also joined.
At this point, there was fresh encouragement to expand the business in Europe and beyond, all while conserving traditional hand cutting techniques. Alongside the products made for big name retailers and the hospitality industry, there is now an exclusive line aimed at the foreign market that carries the Castrovinci brand, a devoted representative of Sicilian values overseas.
