In the beginning there was the "masseria". A part of the massaro's house (the countryman) was used as a workshop for cheese making. Here, in a cauldron filled with udder-fresh milk, "cacio cavallo", "ricotta" and "tuma" cheeses were produced. The "Caseificio Madonna delle Grazie", producing the famous brand "Fioretta", has continued the genuine tradition of the old days. The dairy is located in Contrada Crocevia, in the country-side of Modica, between new dwellings and old surviving "masserie".

The path which began fifty years ago in a small craft workshop has today led to a 1400sqm plant, able to produce up to 30,000 litres of milk per day. This result witnesses to the entrepreneurial ability of the whole family and the efforts made to guarantee the quality of a product which, excuse our immodesty, even its more famous competitors find hard to match.

The so-called secret of the "Caseificio Madonna delle Grazie" lies in the primary products, daily supplied by local producers. The organization of the production and distribution cycles, the high technology of the equipment and the hygienic and sanitary security make of the "Madonna delle Grazie" a dairy in the vanguard of cheese-making.

The certification to produce biological dairy products (that is to say with milk coming from breeds where the fodder has not been treated with phyto-sanitary products, the HACCP self-control system and an internal test laboratory are a guarantee of reliability and professionalism. With regard to the laboratory, samples of the milk worked at the Caseificio are daily subjected to chemical tests in order to exclude any chance of contamination, given that another previous control is provided by the suppliers to keep constant the quality of the milk.

The Caseificio Madonna delle Grazie combines the professionalism of skilled staff with the technology and tradition of the working process. The thermic process, for hygienic cleansing, is provided in the pasteurisation plant, where the milk is directly conveyed from the storage tanks. For this reason the handling of the product is limited to what is strictly necessary, that is to say to the mere craft work by hand of the cheese-maker, who even today is still the only person able to give shape and flavour to the milk products.

The Caseificio Madonna delle Grazie also manages the distribution of its products and the sales organization. This is another reason to offer fresh mozzarella and caciotta in its retail outlets, mostly scattered on the South-East side of Sicily. Relations with the retailers are continually updated with important exchanges of information. This allows us to respond to consumers' needs promptly, and to provide them with a service which combines high quality with swift service.

Under the brand "Fioretta" you can find "mozzarella fior di latte", "bocconcelli", "trecce", "pizza mozzarella", "provola", "cacetto", "provola del casaro", "scamorza", "provola affumicata", "filato dolce", "cacio ragusano", "cacio ragusano con pepe rosso o nero", "mandarini", "gigantini", "burro" and "ricotta".