Innocenti Biscuit Factory in Trastevere, pastries and pizzas like they used to be
Biscottificio Innocenti in Trastevere. At number 21 Via della Luce in Trastevere, there's a shop that's now part of the neighborhood's history. A historic biscuit factory, founded and nurtured by four generations of artisans.
From the shop's exterior windows, you can already glimpse artisanal tarts and biscuits, all made without animal-derived preservatives, neatly arranged on trays and baskets. Upon entering, on the left wall, the customer's attention is immediately drawn to the autographed photos of various celebrities who have passed through the biscuit factory's doors, including, to name a few, Albano and Romina. Next to the singer's portrait is a framed article from La Repubblica about the biscuit factory. Just reading the signature reveals why: the author is Emanuele Trevi, winner of the 2021 Strega Prize. On the right, behind the counter, lies the beating heart of the shop: a large, yellowish vintage oven, about 16 meters long, with the workshop visible behind it.
The history of the biscuit factory
The history of Biscottificio Innocenti began in 1940, during World War II, when Stefania Innocenti's grandfather, the current owner, opened a confectionery factory producing biscuits for the army. The business was then passed on to Stefania's parents, Anna and Enzo, who continued the tradition, which has remained faithful to her family's teachings. Finally, there's Manuela, the fourth generation, who, while not working as an artisan, is dedicated to promoting the shop, which receives visitors from around the world every day, making it a must-see on any respectable tour of Trastevere.
“My paternal grandfather asked my mother's father, since they were friends, to send him someone to work,” Stefania explains. “My mother Anna, the sixth of nine children, arrived with her other sisters. This is where my mother met my father, so for me it's also a place of love. My father was a sea captain, but for her he left the sea and started working in the biscuit factory.”
Anna remains the architect of the bakery's entire evolution, as her daughter is keen to point out: "She understood the changing times, that it was time to change the way we produced our products. My grandfather made stamped biscuits, and even today some older people ask us for 'broken biscuits,' which at the time were leftovers from production. Mom, on the other hand, understood the evolution of artisanal products and even introduced savory options. It was the time of the economic boom, and almond paste arrived. This kind of attention has endured over time because we continue to update ourselves, for example with vegan or gluten-free desserts."
Biscuits and pizzas, a winning combination
The selection is wide among the approximately 50 types of sweets on sale, such as crostatine, brutti ma buoni (brutti but good), almond paste, fan-shaped cookies, lingue di gatto (cat's tongues), wine, cinnamon, or aniseed donuts, and straccetti (strawberries) with dried fruit. Then there are tarts, including single-serving ones, milk biscuits (pictured above), mielini (sweet biscuits), and tozzetti (small, round, or square ones). Prices range from €16 to €29 per kilo, or directly per piece. On Saturdays, it's time for maritozzo, one of the most beloved Roman desserts, also available to order (€3.50 each), while at Christmas and Easter, homemade panettone and colomba are a must.
Those who come to Biscottificio Innocenti to buy sweets are hard-pressed to resist the temptation of the hot, freshly baked red pizzas, another of the shop's signature dishes. Also worth trying are the various flavors of crumbly crackers, all light and easily digestible, such as those with chili pepper, rosemary, or sesame.
The vintage oven from 1960
“Our oven is a 1960 Leira, a relic, it no longer exists. My mother put it there, I'll never change it. It was built here; basically, the floor oven was built first. I was two years old. He's my brother. My mother had far-sighted ideas. She was an incredible woman. I'll continue what she did,” Stefania concludes.
The baked goods are baked in the workshop and come out directly from the counter, to the amazement of those who arrive every day, eager to take a souvenir photo, even with Stefania herself, always ready to welcome with a smile anyone who enters the door of her home-shop.
Innocenti Biscuit Factory. Via della Luce 21, Rome. Tel. 06 5803926. Website. Facebook. Instagram.
