The city of Perugia is famous for chocolate, but especially for the Bacio Perugina.
Legend has it that the famous Bacio Perugina originated from an ingenious idea of Luisa Spagnoli, who decided to mix fragments of hazelnut with other chocolate while making sweets. From this mix, a chocolate was born with a curious irregular appearance, vaguely resembling a closed fist, with a whole hazelnut protruding like a knuckle. This is why it was called 'Cazzotto'.
However, the dolcetto's original name did not entirely convince Giovanni Buitoni, Perugina's managing director and president of Buitoni. Therefore, he decided to rename it with a more appropriate name, thus giving birth to the famous Perugina 'Bacio'. The first cards attached to the chocolates appeared in the 1930s, although initially they were not considered as romantic as the ones we know today. It is even said that Luisa had the habit of writing short messages to her lover Giovanni Buitoni, wrapping them around the chocolates she then sent him. This secret love story inspired Federico Seneca, the company's artistic director, to tie the sweet thought of the note to the chocolate forever. So today, between the chocolate and the silver wrapper, we still find a message written in several languages.
Today, for the Day of the Kiss, give a Bacio Perugina to everyone you love.