History

Since 1907, the Book of One Hundred Thousand Autographs and the Almond Wine “Il Blandanino”…

In the early 1900s tourism began to expand from Taormina also in its district, and in particular, Castelmola began to be frequented by tourists from all over the world. In the hours of free time, in fact, it was not difficult to meet English noblewomen, on foot or on a donkey, going towards Castelmola or Monte Ziretto and Monte Venere.

At that time, Castelmola was only a small country village, in which a small group of families lived, where the word tourism simply coincided with the Caffè Blandano, then an inn, which with its name paid homage to the patron saint, San Giorgio. At first glance, it seemed to be in an antique dealer’s shop, but Blandano’s place was a characteristic village café, from which one could enjoy a breathtaking view.

With the arrival of the first tourists in Sicily and with the growing fame of Taormina, Don Vincenzo Blandano, the first and historic owner of the Antico Caffè San Giorgio, thought of welcoming visitors with something more than a simple glass of wine. Thus, placing a sign on his café “Caffè San Giorgio”, he furnished it with the most disparate objects, from cart wheels to agricultural tools, used small barrels as tables and ferrule benches as chairs, and had many invitations printed to be distributed in the most important hotels of Taormina. Illustrious personalities soon arrived. Wilhelm Von Gloeden, known as “Baron Guglielmo”, a German photographer known for his male nude studies of young Sicilians, seems to have arrived among the first, not only to enjoy the panorama but also to taste the wine with almonds and a particular black cherry with herbs prepared by the owner of Caffè San Giorgio. Precisely in these early 1900s, among the various infusions prepared, Don Vincenzo Blandano created the almond-flavored wine which he called “Vino alla Mandorla Il Blandanino”, a mysterious liqueur in which different smells and flavors of his Sicily blend.

The notoriety of the Antico Caffè San Giorgio is also given by the wonderful collection of autographs mentioned by Roger Peyrefitte in his book “From Vesuvius to Etna”. All the aristocrats of the time – including princes, explorers, billionaires, listed bankers, landowners, men of letters and even simple dreamers – signed the book kept by Don Vincenzo in his café, sealing the suggestive visit on the terrace of his bar from which one could enjoy one of the most unique panoramas in the world due to the contrasting variety of details. The so-called book of the “One Hundred Thousand Autographs”, a unique tradition in the world created by the old founder Don Vincenzo Blandano, which is still kept alive in his historic Café, brings together an exceptional collection of large volumes of autographs of illustrious characters. Among the known signatures we find those of Henry Royce, Henry Ford, Guglielmo Marconi, Winston Churchill, Franz Josef Strauß, John D. Rockefeller, General Pietro Badoglio, Lord Mounthbatten, Pope Wojtyla when he was still a Cardinal and many rulers, billionaires and actresses and actors. The Antico Caffè San Giorgio still keeps the traditions of Don Vincenzo Blandano alive, offering its customers the opportunity to taste his unique almond wine “Il Blandanino” and sign his historic books.

And then you just have to come and visit us, taste the almond wine, leave your impressions on the famous book, but above all dream while admiring one of the most extraordinary panoramas in the world!