After a short time spent selling cured hams, Ernesta and Costante Villani unleashed their entrepreneurial spirit by buying a building in the town center, where they began producing salami, coppa, pancetta, mortadella and cooked ham. The historic premises still house a production unit at the company's headquarters. By the 1930s the Villanis were already showing their flair, and their crates had long carried the words “destination: New York”. The turning point then came from Giuseppe, one of Costante's eleven children. After a particularly innovative and profitable period, he returned from a trip to the States with an idea that would revolutionize the production of air-dried pork: drying on racks.
These mobile racks, still used today as the basis of the modern drying process, were quickly adopted by sausage makers everywhere. Giuseppe's extraordinary enthusiasm for the flavors of Italy then took him on a journey of discovery in search of new regional recipes and methods, which in turn gave him invaluable experience for the uniquely delicious cured meats he went on to create. Production expanded to include a wide range of regional specialties, sold not only worldwide but also in the very towns where the original recipes come from, a testament to the recognition of Villani's high quality. These strong roots support the company today as it produces and sells premium products bearing the DOP and IGP labels, which it is entitled to use thanks to its five production plants located in the respective geographical areas.