The production of Amaro Lucano, in the Pisticci Scalo (Matera) plant, in the 1950s (photo amarolucano.it)
March 6, 1957, Pasquale Vena, with his sons Leonardo and Giuseppe, registers the Amaro Lucano patent at the Chamber of Commerce.
The story began many years earlier, in 1894, in Pisticci, when Pasquale, who ownes a biscuit factory, discovers the perfect blend composed of a mix of herbs and citrus fruits, with floral notes: mixed together they have a strong, balanced and unique taste.
The particular new flavor travels across Italy and reaches the refined palate of the king of the royal house of Savoy. Such is the relationship between the supplier Vena and the king, that the latter wants to award him the title of knight. Thus, from this moment on, Mr. Pasquale becomes, for everyone, the Cavalier Vena.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, the production of Amaro was stopped. But the secret recipe resists the war, so that, in the 1950s, the small family shop becomes a real company.
The expansion never stops and, with the advent of the means of communication such as TV, it increases, thanks to the possibility of advertising the Amaro that becomes famous thanks to the slogan: “What more do you want from life? A Lucano”.
Today, the Amaro Lucano factory is run by the grandson of Pasquale Vena, who bears his name, and by his children. The tradition continues, unchanged, as well as the success of this liqueur that has made Basilicata known all over the world.
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