L’Arcolaio is a type B social cooperative, which was founded in 2003 to facilitate the work placement of prisoners through the management of a productive activity within the Syracuse prison, which it takes care of and initiates commercial development.

Initially, the cooperative produces organic bread, but encounters many commercial difficulties and the market and customers are not yet ready for this innovative choice, therefore the production of bread is abandoned, favoring the organic, gluten-free and solidarity creation of almond pastes and other typical sweets of the Sicilian tradition.

In 2005 the registered trademark “Dolci Evasioni” was created and a dedicated packaging was developed. Dolci Evasioni products conquer the national market through specialized organic shops, fair trade shops and GAS (solidarity buying groups).

In 2014, with the support of the Val di Noto Community Foundation, of which the Arcolaio is a founding member, the Frutti degli Iblei project was launched: through the recovery of uncultivated land and the involvement of other categories of disadvantaged people (mainly young and immigrant women), new product categories are introduced, such as aromatic herbs, flavored salts and dried vegetables.

All products are made with organic ingredients of the highest quality and are certified by ICEA (Institute for Ethical and Environmental Certification).

Furthermore, Dolci Evasioni produced in prison are entirely gluten free, thanks to a laboratory that excludes the use of raw materials with gluten.

Most of the Arcolaio's desserts are based on the use of Sicilian almonds, an excellence of the territory. Almonds can be tasted natural or peeled, toasted, praline and covered with delicious chocolate, or transformed into fragrant traditional Sicilian sweets, such as almond paste and soft amaretti, and in the precious preparation for almond milk. The almond is also the protagonist of the pesto, made only with basil and extra virgin olive oil, without garlic and without cheese.

In addition to almonds, citrus fruits are also enhanced: "we select the most fragrant lemons and oranges, dry the slices at low temperature to give you a delicious snack and transform the skins into irresistible candied fruit covered in chocolate. The syrup obtained from candying is used as a base for our wholemeal shortbread biscuits of ancient Sicilian wheat ".