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The history of Panettone Vergani is a family history. Growing from a small shop to a large company, they have preserved (and handed down) their values and traditions for four generations to uphold the excellence of the Vergani brand. Today they are the only (and last) Milanese to produce Panettone on an industrial scale in Milan.
It all began back in 1944, in a small pastry shop on Viale Monza, Milan. Angelo Vergani – an enterprising young man who loved baking as much as his home town – decided to start his own busi ness. Because of his use of natural ingredients and his constant pursuit of quality, “Mr. Vergani” soon became known and appreciated among his fellow citizens and specialised in the production of the real Milanese Panettone.
More than seventy years have passed, and more than 600,000 Panettone loafs are baked every year, but each of them is special because it is made according to an old tradition, with the same craftsmanship and following the original recipe handed down by great-grandfather Angelo. The true secret to the best Panettone? The ingredients, of course.
Panettone and Milan History
If Milan comes with some internationally recognised icons, Panettone is undoubtedly one of them. There is a long, centuries-old link between the city of Milan and Panettone, dating back to the Middle Ages, and many are the stories told about the creation of Milan’s most popular loaf. They include romantic and poetic stories of noble knights, charitable nuns or kitchen boys at the court of the City Lords. Between myth and reality, one thing is for sure: a 1395 decree allowed all Milan bakeries to bake the so-called Pan del Ton (meaning a valuable bread) for Christmas: a white loaf made from wheat flour, that even the poor could have on that special holiday. This “luxury” bread was at the heart of a Christmas tradition in Milan, the ceremony of the “tree stump”: on Christmas Eve, the head of the house divided a Pan del Ton, handing out a piece to each family member as they gathered around the fireplace. In time, Panettone has become Italy’s most popular Christmas cake from North to South, with many producers scattered across the country.
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