Refining at sea in Castel dell'Ovo for 50 bottles of limoncello from Antica Distilleria Petrone

Today in Naples, in the small port of Santa Lucia, near the famous Castel dell'Ovo, a crate containing 450 bottles of limoncello from Antica Distilleria Petrone was immersed.

This is the first time that the Caserta-based company, a world pioneer in underwater refinement of spirits, has decided to dive in the waters of the Gulf of Naples. Previously, two similar dives had involved Elixir Falernum, carried out off the coast of Mondragone, near the remains of the ancient submerged city of Sinuessa.

For limoncello, a liqueur that is a symbol of Campania and Italy as a whole, Andrea Petrone, general manager of Antica Distilleria Petrone, has chosen the prestigious setting of Castel dell'Ovo. The bottles will remain immersed for about a year at a depth of 15 meters, where they will mature, cradled by sea currents, at a constant temperature, protected from light and oxygen and without the influence of the lunar phases.

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At the end of the immersion, the limoncello, as already happened for the Elixir Falernum, will be subjected to a research program conducted by the Department of Agriculture of the University of Naples Federico II, which will study the effects of underwater refinement on the maturation of the liqueur.

“Previous studies on Elixir Falernum have shown that underwater aging increases its density and intensifies its aromas,” said Andrea Petrone. “We also expect the limoncello to show significant differences after its time on the seabed.”

For this first dive in the Gulf of Naples, Petrone wanted to give an important social imprint, involving the ArcheoClub d'Italia and the boys from the Penal Area of ​​Naples who participate in the MareNostrum and Bust Busters project.

“It is an extraordinary experiment,” said Rosario Santonastasio, national president of the ArcheoClub d'Italia. “In addition to the scientific phase, the boys from the Penal Area of ​​Naples, who took courses in scuba diving and theory on geological, environmental and historical heritage, experienced a memorable day, which combines social issues with scientific research. For them it is a new opportunity.”

The event was made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Municipality of Naples, the Navy, the Coast Guard, the ArcheoClub d'Italia, the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia Napoli and YDigital Firm.