Not many people know that Francesco Cirio began his business in Turin, at the Porta Palazzo vegetable market. Here he started trading fruit and vegetables to France and England. In 1856 he was only 20 years old when he opened his first Cirio plant, using the preservation method devised by the Frenchman Appert. In 1867 he presented his products at the Paris Expo and later opened other canning plants in the south of Italy. When he died, in the early 1900s, his partner Pietro Signorini laid solid foundations in the Naples area. By the 1920s, thanks to advertising and promotion, Cirio became a household name for Italians and consumption of its products spread throughout the country. In 2004 it was acquired by Gruppo Cooperativo Conserve Italia, the European leader in the canning industry. Today the company produces tomato preserves, concentrate, peeled and puréed, sauces and condiments. Also available are pulses, vegetables, oil and vinegar. Cirio has always paid great attention to research and innovation, to ensure excellent quality products with high service content.
