Sometimes, love for one’s land marries a desire for discovery. Thus emerges “L’Orto di Rosolino”, a union between Sicilian tradition and the essence of distant lands, forming an oasis of exotic fruits, sustainability, and agricultural tradition.
The company was officially founded in 2019, but its roots reach far deeper in time. Rosolino Palazzolo inherits his art: his father Antonino is still an active farmer, and for thirty years they have jointly grown fruits and vegetables following organic methods.
Intelligent crop rotation improves field structure, and in the last three years, techniques have been refined, favoring the use of organic preparations that safeguard soil fertility and preserve its biodiversity.
Around twenty years ago, out of a great curiosity and a passion for challenges, Rosolino began his story with exotic cultivations. The adventure started with eight papaya trees, a fruit little known in Sicily at that time. Driven by determination and facing the challenges of being self-taught, Rosolino learned the best practices in the field.
To further refine his skills, he undertook several trips abroad, delving into the agricultural cultures of places like Central America and Tenerife, where he connected with local growers.
Today, twenty years later, the Orto di Rosolino – Rosolino’s Garden – is famous for its wide range of exotic fruits: papaya, mango, avocado, cherimoya, and bananas, as well as dried fruit, including macadamia and pecan nuts. Recently, the exquisite Caturra coffee, a variety typical of Costa Rica, was introduced and will soon be marketed.
Rosolino’s Garden boasts various plots of land, with the largest stretching over about 9.88 acres, and numerous others unfurling up to an impressive total of roughly 24.7 acres.
The company plunges its hands into every conceivable type of fresh fruit, conjuring a symphony of peaches, pears, apricots, plums, oranges, mandarins, lemons, figs, and prickly pears. A recent collaboration with two transformation facilities has seen the Orto di Rosolino branch out into creating artisanal compotes and juices.
The available compotes, which embrace varieties like strawberry, lemon, orange, papaya, and plum, adhere strictly to organic practices. They are crafted with the addition of grape sugar, a typically Sicilian concoction obtained through the crystallization of grape juice.
Quenching your thirst, the juices on the market tantalize with apricot (available in 8.5 and 13.5 oz bottles) and a sumptuously delightful blend of peach and passion fruit.
The Orto di Rosolino, while a young company, strides forward with a monumental mission and the steadfast support of seven dedicated collaborators. Even with the market presently concentrated on Italy, the Orto has already spread its wings, exporting its bounty beyond national boundaries, reaching into the heartlands of France, Germany, and Spain.
The loftiest aim on the horizon is the upcoming opening of an educational field. A plot spanning approximately 2.47 acres is dedicated to enthusiastic tourists—a genuine haven for experiential tourism. Here, visitors can personally step onto the field, unearth the secrets of organic cultivation, participate in harvests, experiment with cooking the produce, and culminate their journey with a delightful tasting experience.
In an era where globalization often drifts us away from the peculiarities and roots of the land, the Orto di Rosolino stands as an extraordinary example. It demonstrates how determination and curiosity can transform a daring dream into an authentic excellence that proudly proclaims – Made in Sicily.
