Armatore
The Estate
In Roman times, Campania was the dream place for emperors, who first called this place "Campania Felix" (the Happy Land). Situated at the doors of Southern Italy, Campania is without any doubt one of our favorite corners of Italy. Today we take you to an ancient fishing village along the Amalfi Coast, an authentic treasure of nature and architecture surrounded by crystal-clear sea.
Cetara is a tiny, laid-back fishing village of 2000-ish people. It has a history going back over 1000 years: originally settled by Arabian pirates, later subjugated to the Normans, attacked by Turks and mostly abandoned, it gained independence in 1833. Today, Cetara proudly defends its reputation as an authentic gastronomic hotspot that specialises in fresh local seafood and rich culinary traditions.
Armatore is the result of four-generation devotion for this land and its sea. Following the ancient techniques of Cetara’s tradition and in the full respect of the sea ecosystem, Armatore has supported itself for decades with fishing and keeps its identity alive. It’s a story of passion, respect and commitment for the sea. Armatore believes in a sustainable fish practice: it takes only what it needs from the sea, considering all its resources as a common good to honour and protect in order to give a bright future to the next generations of fishing communities.
The Products
Armatore fishes and works the most important Amalfi Coast sea product: anchovies. Anchovies are fished during the night, from April to August, and worked within a few hours after. Only the biggest anchovies are selected for being salted. They will patently become anchovies “sotto sale” (literally, under salt).
The real delicacy, though, was something that until recently the “Cetaresi” kept to themselves: colatura di alici. Closely related to the celebrated Ancient Roman fish sauce known as garum, this powerful concoction was a by-product of the anchovy salting process, as over the course of several months each barrel would produce a small, intense fish juice run-off, of a lovely amber colour, which Cetara families would bottle in small phials and exchange as Christmas presents.