Baci Perugina was invented by Luisa Spagnoli, in 1922. Spagnoli was looking for a way to recover the processing waste of other products and created this sweet with gianduia chocolate inside, chopped hazelnuts and a whole hazelnut inside, all covered with dark chocolate. Bacio Perugina had to be called “Cazzotto” at first because it originally had a shape that resembled the knuckles of a hand closed in a fist.
Giovanni Buitoni, young administrator of Perugina (and secret lover of Spagnoli) was the one who changed the name of the sweet to a more romantic “Kiss” which means “Bacio” in Italian. But the real turning point in the history of “Baci” comes thanks to Federico Seneca, painter, graphic designer, advertiser and artistic director of Perugina in the 1920s. Seneca invented the iconic pair of lovers on a blue background, inspired by the famous Kiss painting by Hayez.
Photo from Fondazione Magnani Rocca
According to the legend, the first messages inside the silvery envelope (color of the moonlight) were inserted starting in the 1930s by Federico Seneca, inspired by the small messages that Luisa Spagnoli secretly sent to Giovanni Buitoni, hidden among the chocolates.
From then on, it became history and those iconic sweet messages hidden in a little chocolate remain to this day. A perfect gift for Valentine’s Day or a sweet way to say “I love you” to your loved one.
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Taste Italian Baci Perugina: Buy Now!
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Heart shaped gift box
