The painful and feared detachment from their island had not been easy.
And from that land of the Migliara, with the sea in front, not far from the great lighthouse that lit up the night, and under the protective shadow of Monte Solaro. A good land, in a corner of paradise with some of the most beautiful panoramas of Anacapri. Yet life was hard for Raffaele and Gelsomina, so much so that they were convinced that to build a future they would have to cross the ocean and settle in Argentina, like so many other villagers, even relatives, had done before them.
They had thought carefully about that radical change, before deciding to leave with their still young children. But then the day of departure had come and, having left their island behind, Raffaele and Gelsomina were already projected towards the new life of their little family. But in Naples, right at the embarkation for the transoceanic crossing, the case had abruptly changed the cards on the table. The condition of their deaf-mute daughter had proved to be an insurmountable obstacle to the journey. At that point, they had only been able to go back to sea, not on the ocean liner of their vanished dream, but on the ferry that would take them back to where they started, in Anacapri. And, above all, to that land they had believed could not guarantee them a secure future. Where millet was grown in ancient times, Raffaele still had his vineyard with a small ruin and from there, with great courage, he started again together with Gelsomina.
The war had just ended and Raffaele began to sell the soldiers a few glasses of the genuine wine he produced on the fertile land at Migliara. That generous wine was appreciated and sometimes Gelsomina cooked something with garden produce to accompany it. Little by little the idea arose of applying for a license for a bar and, later, for a restaurant.
Grandma Gelsomina's specialties
«Grandma's pasta dishes were much appreciated. Her spaghetti alla "chiummenzana", a well-dried sauce with garlic and cherry tomatoes from the garden, soon made themselves known throughout Capri. And then the ravioli, our typical island dish, in which she was a master. The jars of vegetables grown by our grandfather Raffaele, preserved in vinegar, were another specialty of hers with which she stuffed the sandwiches for the boys who came here for picnics», says the restaurateur of today, who bears the same name as her grandmother and of her restaurant. "Da Gelsomina", over the years, had become a reference, the result of the hard work and great commitment with which the founder and her husband had faced life after the failed migration, managing to change their situation and create an opportunity for work for the children and also for other young relatives. Among them, just a little girl, Teresa had also arrived in Gelsomina's kitchen. There she met her cousin Michele, Gelsomina's son, when he returned to Capri between one embarkation and another.
«Even before she married our father – explains Gelsomina – mother Teresa was passionate about working with her mother-in-law and her recipes. Which were linked to seasonal productions. In addition to cultivating all the vegetables, our grandfather raised chickens and rabbits and those were the meats that were served in the restaurant. Grandma cooked the chicken in a particular way and the rabbit the same. They were her recipes, which Mom had learned to make just like her. The same was true for the ravioli, prepared from the pastry to the filling according to the true traditional Capri recipe, with all local, genuine products, from our land, which dad had also begun to take care of». The second generation began its journey, in the wake of the first, consolidating the family business.
Three generations at work
The close correlation between the land of Anacapri in the Migliara and the restaurant has over time been the main ingredient of the most successful recipe of the founders Gelsomina and Raffaele. The baton then passed to Teresa and Michele, who gradually involved their two children in the work, with the same names as their grandparents. A third generation that in recent years has further expanded the family business, always starting from the endowment of that special land, due to its fertility and splendid exposure. «In 2020, for the sixtieth anniversary of our company, we transformed the ancient structure that was on our property into a small five-room hotel and we also built a swimming pool, which is open to the public and, obviously, to our customers from the restaurant for lunch and dinner.
Directing Gelsomina's kitchen with her usual dedication, at the forefront of the kitchen since she assumed full responsibility, Teresa keeps the "secrets" handed down to her by her mother-in-law. It is she, again, who rolls out the sheet of water and flour which will enclose the filling of the ravioli, made of eggs, marjoram and caciotta. «Not ricotta – specifies young Gelsomina – but cow's milk caciotta, which comes very fresh from the Sorrento Peninsula. On the other hand, our family also has Sorrento roots. For the rest, we all use Capri products, starting with marjoram, which grows spontaneously on our lands. Mom still manages to make three to four hundred ravioli a day like grandma did. And she wants the restaurant to maintain respect for the strong identity of our cuisine, therefore both for Capri traditions and for grandmother Gelsomina's recipes, beyond fashions and certain new trends. Those who come to us want to eat well, expect genuine flavors and excellent quality products. We always have a very varied menu, with many first courses, many fish dishes and our best-known recipes, with ravioli considered the best in Capri. The changes are linked to seasonal products, from the garden and the sea. What we serve on the table comes all from our land and from the fishermen here who supply us with fish. My brother Raffaele takes care of it, continuing his father's work».
The Migliara vineyard
In addition to the vegetable garden, the vineyard from which grandfather Raffaele left has remained. In recent years in Anacapri ancient olive groves have been recovered and the production of oil has resumed, «but we - comments Gelsomina - have always had the vineyard and continue to produce DOC wine, which we label, white and red. We are the only ones in Migliara with a cellar and a press. We make wine again as it once was, pressing the grapes even with our feet. The grape harvest is a celebration and involves the whole family». This, in addition to the direct and homonymous descendants of Gelsomina and Raffaele, now includes their respective spouses and children, still very young, but already gradually involved in the various activities. It is the fourth generation, which is also preparing to play its part in a company which, over time, in addition to being a family resource, has also become one for the territory with which it has always identified.
With this in mind, young Gelsomina is involved with the Anacapri merchants' association in enhancing typical agricultural products and craftsmanship: «For some years now, we have been organizing a summer event to support the socio-economic fabric of the place. Here there are artisans of ceramics, iron, sandal production and it is important to make them known to our guests, in their authenticity and peculiarity». Those same values that, in a completely spontaneous and natural way, have characterized the work of Gelsomina and Raffaele, Teresa and Michele and their entire large family over time.
The fortune imagined in the last century beyond the ocean, in reality was then created in the good land of the origins overlooking fiery sunsets.
