A one-way third-class ticket and all the savings saved up in a suitcase. So begins in the late 1800s the journey to Naples of then 20-year-old Isidoro Odin, a young chocolatier from Alba. But what drives him to leave for the Neapolitan city? Isidoro has a desire to experiment and is looking for a city that can appreciate his new experiments and combinations of flavors without limitations.
Naples, which at the end of the 19th century was a major cultural center on par with London, Paris and Vienna, is the most suitable place for him. The Neapolitan city was a gathering place for intellectuals and artists from all over Europe, and Isidore was fascinated by the crowds that animated Via Toledo until late into the night, the crowds that represented the spirit of the city and inspired the most famous writers and painters of the time. The meeting between Isidore and the city of Naples represents a perfect union: it will be the Neapolitan people, so fond of the sins of gluttony, who will inspire his most sought-after creations..
Neapolitan beauty and tradition fascinate Isidoro so much that he settles in the Chiaia district, the city’s salon buono. Among tailors and cafes a new scent begins to spread, the whole city begins to talk about the young outsider who is sweetening the lives of Neapolitans. Isidoro never tires: every night after closing, he experiments with new harmonies between ingredients and roasting times. All the products that will be displayed in the window the next morning are the result of all his creativity and passion.
Thus was born a magical place, halfway between a laboratory and a store: it is the first Gay Odin store, simple but so elegantly furnished that it has been included among Italy’s historic establishments.
