Legend has it that the first Panettone was born in Milan back in 1476 at the court of Ludovico il Moro.
The famous sweet, an emblem of the Christmas holidays, was the unexpected result of a mistake in the kitchen. To celebrate an occasion at court, the triumph of marzipan, dried fruit and spices typically served on special occasions was ruined during baking. To remedy the terrible mistake, the sweet bread that Toni, the kitchen boy, had kneaded for the cooks’ table was served instead.
The Ancient Tradition of Panettone Milano
How the Milanese Panettone Tradition Was Born
Fine flour, eggs, butter, sugar and yeast, with a handful of raisins and candied fruit taken from the court pantry.
At that point, how could a dessert born out of nothing, improvised with the only ingredients left, be presented? “Pan de Toni” would not do, but “Panettone”, with its fuller and more resonant sound, seemed the perfect solution for presenting the leavened cake to the Moro.
And so Panettone was born: an emblem of the Christmas holidays and an indispensable delicacy on festive tables.
The Miracle of Panettone
But if Milan is the city where Panettone has its origins, it is also the city where, every year, the tradition “comes to a close”.
Tradition has it that on 3 February each year in Milan, the end of the Panettone season is celebrated on the day of Saint Blaise.
A curious popular story tells the legend of Friar Desiderio, who, because of his gluttony, finished the panettone that a housewife had brought to him before the holidays so that he could bless it.
When the housewife returned, precisely on 3 February, Desiderio went to fetch the wrapping, thinking of an excuse to justify himself, only to find that the panettone had reappeared, even larger than it had been originally.
The tradition of Panettone thus lies between the pages of an ancient story and a more modern legend: a solid and widespread tradition that gives this sweet an aura of magic and wonder. Loison loves traditions and, precisely to underline this constant search for history and custom, dedicates an entire line to Panettone di Milano.
