The Sicilian Cart: An Icon of Island History

The Sicilian cart is one of the iconic elements we chose to characterize the Favola “Opunzia” label. The figures traditionally painted on the sides of old carts often depicted the lives of saints, the deeds of kings, and very often scenes from the opera dei pupi, just like on our family cart, which we carefully preserve in our olive mill.

After the 19th century, the cart became the most practical means of transport for carrying firewood, wine barrels, and even oil. In Sicily, two schools of decoration developed. Compared with the Palermo style, which features trapezoidal side panels, the cart style typical of the Catania school has rectangular side panels and a red background color, like the lava of Mount Etna. The carvings and decorations are more refined, moving away from the simpler Palermo style toward a richer and more elaborate aesthetic.

In addition to its superstitious function and its role as a form of advertising designed to attract the attention of passersby, the decorative meaning of the Sicilian cart gradually took on an increasingly folkloric significance.

So what better icon could there be on our labels to retrace, through time, a Favola that tells the story of our culture at the table and beyond?

Like the cart, our labels also tell the story of the colors of the landscapes that form the backdrop to our olive harvest, the aromas and aftertaste of tradition, and the roots of a passion that has lasted for 60 years.

The happy ending of our Favola reaches the palate through the perfect pairing of each olive oil variety with the flavors of typical Mediterranean dishes.