Italian News Headlines 02-10-2025: Claudia Cardinale, legend of Italian cinema, has died at the age of 87 | The Italian women's volleyball team has won the World Championships, their 36th consecutive victory | Legendary Italian fashion designer, Giorgio Armani, has died at the age of 91 | Italian authorities are expecting over 12 million vehicles on the roads over the 'Ferragosto' weekend | 45 people were injured in Rome when a petrol station exploded, following a smaller explosion caused by a truck hitting a gas pipe | Twenty Italian seaside resorts have been awarded Cinque Vele status by the Legambiente and Touring Club Italiano, of which six are in Sardinia. The beach at Domus de Maria, in southern Sardinia, has received the highest ranking in 2025 | The world's most famous Tik Toker, Italian, Kharby Lame, was arrested and then expelled from the United States for remaining in the country after his visa expired | The Italian navy training ship, Amerigo Vespucci, arrived in Cagliari to be welcomed by Luna Rossa, the winner of the 37th America's Cup youth and women's tournament | Italy will host the 38th edition of the America's Cup in Naples in 2027 | Robert Francis Prevost from the USA has been chosen as the new pope, taking the name, Pope Leo XIV

Nutella

Nutella

February 2015 was a busy and a sad month for Ferrero SpA, the Italian confectionery company and producuers of the world famous spread Nutella. First of all it was the 2015 World Nutella Day on 5th February and then on the 14th February Michele Ferrero died. He was born on April 26th 1925 and was the son of Pietro Ferrero, the founder of the company which Michele subsequently joined in 1949. Michele Ferrero is the man responsible for inventing Nutella spread as we know it today and which has become a household name around the world. When he died on February 14th he was aged 89 and was the richest man in Italy.

The origins of Nutella began in 1946 after World War Two to overcome a shortage of cocoa. A pastry maker in Piedmont discovered that by making a sweet paste from ground hazelnuts he could add just a little bit of the finest cocoa to make the whole paste taste like chocolate. He moulded this thick paste into a loaf shape so that it could be thinly sliced and served on bread. He called this solid paste 'Giandujot' after a famous carnival character.

In 1951 Pietro Ferrero adjusted the Giandujot paste making it softer so that it could actually be spread onto slices of bread. He renamed the softer paste 'SuperCrema'.

It wasn't until 1964 that Michele Ferrero took the recipe and amended it once again to the smooth, easily spreadable paste that is now eaten on bread, in cakes, on pizzas and by the teaspoonful in 150 countries around the globe. The now famous brand name 'Nutella' was also invented at that time by taking the English word 'Nut' and the Latin suffix 'ella' meaning sweet.

The recipe of Nutella remains secret and its taste unique with the company boasting that they use only the highest quality raw materials from around the world in their careful preparation of the product.

These are the ingredients used:

  • Sugar - 75% from beets and 25% from cane.
  • Palm Oil - a vegetable oil naturally derived from palm fruit.
  • Ferrero use palm oil which is exclusively extracted from the pulp and not from the seeds.
  • Hazelnuts - sourced mainly from Italy and Turkey.
  • Cocoa - raw beans are purchased from the annual main crop.
  • Milk - skimmed milk and whey powder.
  • Lecithins (Soya) - a natural soy or sunflower-derived product that is not genetically modified.
  • Vanillin - a compound naturally present in the vanilla pod.

The Best Italian Handmade Gifts
Direct From Italy

Alia (azzurro) - Classic Italian Leather Handbag

More Details

sail to italy
Other pages you might like
Newsletter
Enter your email address below to receive our free newsletter, 'I Love Italy'. It provides a captivating glimpse into the allure of 'The Bel Paese', containing extracts from our most recent articles, a window on Italian news, fashion, music and culture, useful information for visiting and living in Italy as well as our latest, delicious Italian recipes.

Subscribers are also entitled to a 10% discount on purchases from our sister-site, Italy Gifts Direct.

We will not use your email address for any other purpose or pass it on to any other organisation and you can unsubscribe from this service at any time.
I agree to receive occasional emails and have read the Privacy Policy.

up arrow