The Roots of the Past
The company “IL PARCO” was born in San Giovanni Rotondo, in the protected territory of the Gargano National Park, in the 90s and is specialized in the production of buffalo milk and its transformation into Campania Buffalo Mozzarella PDO. From our grandfather Raffaele Di Bari we inherited the values of our rural civilization, the one linked to our territory (the province of Foggia), to the ancient and typical local food traditions that for four generations have made our profession an art. An art that has its roots in a very distant past, since 1294 in Foggia, during the exhibition of the Royal Herd of St. Felicita, were sold products obtained from buffalo milk, a noble animal introduced in the area by Frederick II. The tendency to occupy unsuccessful spaces for the sowing and adapt them to the pasture of the buffalo allowed the diffusion of these animals in the typical southern zones and the relative dairy transformation. This historical, geographical and traditional heritage has been enhanced since 2003, thanks to the extension of the protected area of origin Campania Buffalo Mozzarella PDO to twelve municipalities in the province of Foggia, including San Giovanni Rotondo. To date, the Campania Buffalo Mozzarella PDO “IL PARCO” is the only one produced in Puglia exclusively from certified Apulian buffalo milk.
In our land, a protected area, the food supply chain enjoys privileges linked to the healthy, intact and wholesome territory, and therefore bound to the protection of the environment. Operating in an uncontaminated area, that of the Gargano National Park, and having control of the entire buffalo supply chain allows us to ensure everyday quality and authenticity of the production. The typicality is combined with the technological innovations and with the respect of the many sanitary norms in force for which the efforts of our company are all striving to reconcile the company’s growth with the artisanal approach that has always characterized our machining. For this mission, we start from certified milk with very high-quality standards, we follow it with scrupulous controls in the production process, up to the clean and typical taste of our “Campania Buffalo Mozzarella PDO”, the only one produced in Apulia exclusively from Apulian buffalo milk, which distinguishes us on the national and international market. Respect for the rules and quality is our company philosophy, carried out with skill and experience by a sparkling and industrious social structure, demonstration of agriculture of advanced development of the Bufalina supply chain. Honor and merit also go to the superlative buffaloes of our farm, amazing for the excellent production of milk, all carefully controlled, restored and selected.
That corner of Italy called by the ancients “the Mountain of the Sun”: GARGANO
After the history linked to the introduction of buffaloes on the territory by Frederick II, other historical research attests that dates back to 1700 the presence along the delta of Candelaro, a river in the province of Foggia, a large buffalo farm. Other families continued this activity of breeding and transformation that was handed down from father to son until the 1930s to grandfather Raphael, patriarch of our family. Operating in an uncontaminated area, that of the Gargano National Park, and having control of the entire buffalo supply chain allows us to ensure everyday quality and authenticity of the production. The Gargano, in its Gargano National Park, preserves treasures of nature such as the numerous woods, the Umbra Forest, karst caves and farms scattered on the territory that produce excellent healthy and genuine typical products as our territory. The wonderful coasts of the Gargano, with their beaches surrounded by nature and bathed by a crystal clear sea, attract many tourists from all over the world. The Gargano, land of saints and sanctuaries, through the Via Francigena that departed from Mont Saint-Michel, was a place of passage for the crusaders who before going to the Holy Land asked for the blessing of Saint Michael the Archangel in the cave of Monte Sant’Angelo. King Manfred, son of Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, decided to build his palace in Manfredonia after consulting the signs of the stars, firmly convinced that “the sidereal immensity can reveal the goodness of choices to be taken for the city that he wants to build”. In the province of Foggia lived on the palettes the Dauni who from the 6th sec. a.c. began to build the houses in stone. The castle of Manfredonia, National Museum, preserves the ancient finds including the famous Daun steles.
Apulia is a beautiful and unique land, it is one of the Italian regions able to amaze those who visit it and those who live there. Apulia is a treasure full of art, history and nature. It is the land of sun and hospitality with two seas, the Adriatic and the Ionian, and dream beaches. For the second consecutive year, Puglia won the “Best value travel destination in the world”. The “Most Beautiful Region in the World” was defined by three giants as National Geographic, Lonely Planet and the New York Times. Authentic Apulia is also enjoyed at the table. Apulian food and wine are an explosion of excellent flavors. The secret lies in the ingredients, genuine and km 0, as the only Campania Buffalo Mozzarella PDO “IL PARCO” made in Apulia with 100% of Apulian buffalo milk, fresh typical Apulian specialties such as the famous burrata and the exquisite stracciatella of “THE FABULOUS OF IL PARCO” in addition to the varied selection of cheeses typical of our land “THE SELECTION IL PARCO THE CHEESES” and the excellent extra virgin olive oil “MOUNTAIN OF THE SUN” of “IL PARCO”
Our buffaloes: the reasons for a higher quality
The origins of buffalo mozzarella are directly linked to the introduction of buffaloes in central-southern Italy, spread by the Normans, an area rich in marshes that allowed the breeding of only this extraordinary animal. Emperor Frederick II of Swabia, the father of King Manfred, first imported buffaloes from Africa to use them as a workforce in the Apulian countryside. Officially Free, the buffalo farms of “IL PARCO” are characterized by excellent milk producers and to ensure an excellent quality, we adopt specific requirements for animal welfare (physical and mental health in harmony with the environment), a balanced diet based on hay and straw of the Tavoliere delle Puglie, use of raw materials and selected feed, the utmost care in milking that guarantee everyday excellent and uncontaminated milk. All the heads are registered in the Genealogical Book of the Bufalina Species of the Italian Mediterranean Race. The quantitative and qualitative requirements of our farms are so high that “IL PARCO” is one of the first livestock companies in Italy. The University of Foggia and the Ente Fiera di Foggia have awarded the Azienda Agricola Zootecnica IL PARCO the “MEDITERRANEAN AWARD”, in the section economy and companies because it has made a decisive contribution to the development of Italian agriculture and agro-industry and in particular of the Mezzogiorno.
As evidence of such superiority, our buffalo “Margherita” was awarded the prestigious prize of “Absolute Champion” of the 3rd National Exhibition of the Mediterranean Buffalo, held at Eboli, excelling all the Italian cousins. Massimo Neri, BMI breed expert (Italian Mediterranean Buffalo), dedicated an article to one of our buffalo entitled: “A breast to lose your head”. Describing the buffalo in question as functional, efficient, productive and with a breast from excellent functional morphology to which he did not hesitate to give as many as 90 points. In the Anasb genetic indices of November 2019, the breeding of our company turns out to have: 1) The best male breeder authorized to F.A. per % fat; 2) The best buffalo Rank 99 per % protein; 3) The best beef Rank 99 per kg. of milk; 4) Two Rank 99 hoaxes in the top 10 for IBMI index.” Our company has also joined the LEO Project (Livestock Environment Opendata) for a great goal: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, food safety. One Health: Ensuring individual and collective well-being. Respecting animals and the environment for sustainable animal husbandry.
Our productions
Symbol of Made in Italy in the world, the “Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP” of “IL PARCO” is present on the tables of all gourmets! Always in the name of made in Apulia, our line of products has been enriched with new brands.
Today we deliver our fresh products in Europe, United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Canada…
“BUFALIA” Buffalo milk mozzarella: buffalo milk mozzarella and braids that can also be tasted smoked.
“LE FAVOLOSE DEL PARCO”: fresh typical Apulian cow’s milk specialties such as fior di latte and the famous burrata and stracciatella.
“THE SELECTION IL PARCO I FORMAGGI”: a varied selection of cheeses typical of our land.
“MONTAGNA DEL SOLE”: our Extra Virgin Olive Oil, extracted from the olives of the olive groves surrounding our company, in the uncontaminated territory of the Gargano National Park.
Our company is certified with the Quality Management System for Hygiene and Food Safety UNI EN ISO 22000: 18
Contacts
Località Posta Piana, 71013
San Giovanni Rotondo Gargano (FG) Italia
mozzarellailparco@gmail.com
+ 39 340 5538400 (Customers Service)
OPERAZIONE COFINANZIATA CON RISORSE DEL PSR PUGLIA 2014-2020 MISURA 19 “SOSTEGNO ALLO SVILUPPO LOCALE LEADER” Sottomisura 19.2 “sostegno all’esecuzione nell’ambito degli interventi della strategia” SSL 2014 – 2020 GAL GARGANO Intervento3.2 creazione di start-up extra-agricole.