The legends of Sicily in our cup from Morettino

When espresso meets tradition and culture.

Many times, espresso is much more than just a cup of coffee. For Sicilians, it is part of their everyday life, a symbol of their carefree and Mediterranean temperament, an integral part of their gastronomic culture and much more… what happens when such a big chapter in Sicilian life gets mixed up with the myths and legends of the island, but also with its rich artistic heritage?

Caffe Morettino, an espresso brand based in Palermo, the capital of Sicily, has taken on the task of transforming all this colorful load of culture into delightful coffee blends that come in beautiful, collectible packaging. It all starts with the legend Il Mori!

The Legend of Il Mori

Around 1100 AD, when Sicily was under Arab rule, a beautiful girl (La Fanciulla) lived in the neighborhood of Calsa, in Palermo, and spent her days tending to her flower pots on her balcony. One day, a young man (Il Moro) passed by her house and fell in love with her at first sight and, without wasting time, knocked on her door and asked for her hand in marriage. The girl, charmed by his courage, fell in love with him too, but her happiness did not last long: her beloved Moro already had a family waiting for him in the East.

Blinded by jealousy and hatred, the girl killed Moro in his sleep and beheaded him, turning his head into a flower pot for her royals. As she watered it with her tears, her basil grew so big that it became the envy of the entire neighborhood – and to make up for it, they began to make pots for their basils that depicted the heads of the Moro and the girl.

Thus began a centuries-old tradition that requires Sicilian balconies to be decorated with ceramic pots shaped like the heads of the unfortunate couple. The “Testa de Moro” or “Graste” as the locals call them, are among the most characteristic objects of the Sicilian tradition, of which ceramics is also a part. The beautiful heads, in dozens of variations, but always bright and colorful, are now found not only as pots and flowerpots, but also as decorations of all kinds, which are not missing from any Sicilian household.



Morettino brings the legend to our cup!

The packaging is designed by Alice Venti, a painter who is one of the main guardians of the Sicilian decorative tradition. Internationally recognized, Venti draws her themes and techniques from the tradition, nature and history of the island and has significant collaborations with hugely important brands such as Smeg and Dolce & Gabbana. Venti chose the blue color for Il Moro and the red for La Fanciulla and painted them with the watercolor technique, incorporating the famous “cartocci” pattern used in the island’s ceramics into the background, imaginatively combining tradition and modernity.

Inside the beautiful, collectible box, Morettino Caffe has enclosed the “family” blend, a Mediterranean blend with an intense, aromatic character, which best embodies the Sicilian espresso tradition. Morettino’s roasters advise that we prepare it and enjoy it in a Moka Pot, coming even closer to the daily ritual of coffee as the Sicilians understand it!



Whether you choose the brazen and daring Il Moro or the unfortunate but unscrupulous daughter, you have not just chosen two coffees – you have brought two pieces of Sicilian tradition into your home!