The origins of Neapolitan coffee date back to 1771, when Maria Carolina of Habsburg-Lorraine, wife of Ferdinand of Bourbon, introduced coffee to Naples during a dance held in the Royal Palace of Caserta, where she had the guests serve a dark drink. This exotic drink was already well known at the court of Vienna, where Maria Carolina came from.
History also has it that our typical breakfast at the bar custom of combining brioche (croissant in French) and coffee derives from a suggestion of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France (and sister of Maria Carolina). It is thanks to the will of these two illustrious women that today the Neapolitan coffee has become a ritual as well as a symbol of Neapolitan culture.
For years, the processing of blends was purely for male use when one day, a group of women with the desire to redeem themselves decided to undertake this work with all the love and care that can be found in a good cup of coffee.
The Lazzarelle Cooperative, founded in 2010 in Pozzuoli in the province of Naples, is a social enterprise that produces coffee in the Pozzuoli Women's Prison. An all-female challenge that enhances craftsmanship and creates social inclusion. Because only work offers dignity and the possibility of real redemption.
Their coffee is made by bringing together two weak subjects: women inmates and small coffee producers from the southern hemisphere, in fact, their beans come from the Shadhilly Cooperative, which promotes cooperation projects with small producers. Over the years, they have decided to add tea, infusions and herbal teas to their artisanal production.
The choice of the name and a brand that stands out:
Their brand is nothing more than the mirror of female detention. In Pozzuoli many of the women who work in roasting are of low social danger. They are the Lazzarelle themselves, the little girls who have made some pranks and who are now trying to remedy this. This is where the pink of the packaging is born, an almost shocking bright pink. A marketing expert, he would certainly have opted for the classic colors of the earth, but the shocking pink of the Lazzarelle had to stand out for its history.
Many of the women involved in the production of Caffè Lazzarelle had never had a regular employment contract. But today, thanks to the work in the cooperative, in addition to learning a trade, they acquire awareness of their rights and their potential.
Sustainability:
Lastly, Lazzarelle coffee, in addition to being good, also respects the environment! In fact, the production phase follows strict processing procedures, without adding additives, respecting the natural preparation times of the ancient Neapolitan artisan school, while the packaging and packaging is made entirely from plastic material without aluminum so that it can be recycled. with plastic in separate collection.
