OUR STORY
Braalla began in Altomonte with a simple idea
It all started with a question you'd often hear in Calabria, in families and among friends who had moved far away: how do you find those flavors anywhere else? Real 'nduja, olive oil from hand-picked olives, honey that still tastes of flowers and not just of sugar.
Everything grew from there. Not from a business plan, but from a real table, laid with what local producers still brought by hand. Braalla became a way to bring that table to those who live far away, or simply to anyone who wants to discover a Calabria you won't see on postcards.
A name that comes from the village,
not from an ad agency
The name Braalla comes from our hometown, Altomonte, which was once called Brahalla. We only dropped the H, to make the name easier to write and pronounce, and left everything else as it was: the sound, the root, the bond with this land.
The symbol in our logo comes from here too. It's an abstract rendering of the rose window of the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione, the town's main church, which stands in the oldest, highest part of the village. To us, that rose window holds three things together: majesty, beauty and devotion. It's the same spirit we bring to everything we put on the table.
Why we do it
Made in Italy, the quality of what our artisans make by hand, the flavors that come from what our land produces: there's nothing quite like them. We're attached to this land and proud of the businesses that call it home, which is why we want to showcase their products, both handcrafted and food, and share the recipes and traditions behind them.
The origins and the specialties of this land matter deeply to us, and betting on them is a real way to promote it and help it grow. We're starting from Altomonte and, step by step, we want to reach the whole of southern Italy.
We've always believed that villages shouldn't be left to die. They should keep up with the times, reinventing themselves while keeping their traditions alive.
If people don't come to us, we'll bring our beautiful village to them: its beauty, its flavors, its scents and the skilled hands of its artisans.
(braalla.it)
A bottega that keeps growing.
Braalla began in Altomonte, in the province of Cosenza, and it has never really left. Even when our parcels head to northern Italy or abroad, behind them there's always the same village, the same streets, the same producers we've talked to in person before putting anything online.
We don't buy from a price list. We go and visit the people who work the terracotta, who make 'nduja following the Spilinga recipe, who move their beehives to follow the blossoms. We sit down at the table, we taste, we ask how it's done. Only then do we decide whether a product deserves a place on Braalla.
It's slow work, one producer at a time. But it's the only way we know to stay honest with everyone who orders from our home.
Braalla doesn't just sell products. It brings age-old gestures to your table.
Braalla, Altomonte CS
Three things we'll never give up
People before products
Behind every jar or piece of terracotta there's someone we know by name. We don't work with faceless suppliers. We work with artisans we know exactly where to find, down to the street and the workshop.
The time it takes
Terracotta dries slowly. 'Nduja cures at its own pace. Honey follows the flowering season. We don't rush nature, or the hands that do the work.
We taste it first
No product makes it into our catalog without being on our table first. If we're not truly convinced, it stays out. It's the simplest way we have to keep our selection honest.
Not just a bottega.
A piece of Calabria, shipped with care.
Our days begin by talking to the people who make things, making sure that whatever is about to ship has been given the care it deserves. Every parcel is packed with the table it's headed for in mind, maybe hundreds of kilometers away, yet tied to this land by a scent that never changes. It's work done more with hands than with screens, even when the orders come in through a computer.
A promontory, a river, and a name that has changed three times
Because we're so attached to our land, we'd like to tell you a little about the history of our village. In Roman times it was known as Balbia, famous for its rock salt mine and its Balbino wine. With the Saracen invasions it became Brahalla, and in the first half of the 14th century it was renamed "Altofiume" by Filippo Sangineto, the first holder of the county. Soon after, Queen Joanna I gave it its current name, which clearly refers to its position: Altomonte, the "high mountain".
It was a fief of the Guasto family, then of Guglielmo Pallotta, and later of the Sangineto family, one of whom married Pallotta's widow. Toward the end of the 14th century it passed, through the female line, to the Sanseverino family of Bisignano.
The village has a remarkable historical and architectural heritage. There is the 14th-century church of Santa Maria della Consolazione, which inspired our logo and houses the Sangineto mausoleum, alongside the former Dominican convent, now home to the important Civic Museum. There is the mother church of San Giacomo, the church of San Francesco di Paola with its adjoining convent, now the town hall, the massive square tower, and the medieval castle of Norman origin, with traces of 14th and 15th-century frescoes.
Altomonte sits on a promontory about 455 meters above sea level. Its fertile land lies partly in the plain, crossed by the Esaro, Grondi and Fiumicello rivers, and partly in the hills, with wide panoramic views. The area covers about 65.29 km², much of it farmed with wheat, barley, legumes, vegetables, citrus and fruit orchards. Olive groves and native vineyards abound, producing the Balbino wines so praised by Pliny the Elder. Our village is still home to many skilled artisans who are proud of their land, and many of them are right here on this site.
Thank you for taking the time to get to know our project!
With a warm hug, Luigi and Pasquale.