Artisan cheesemakers for over twenty years: the Sardinian sheep tradition transplanted to the hills of Cerveteri, between transhumance and Slow Food Presidium.
There's a journey in every shape: from Sardinia to Lazio, from the Etruscan pastures to the Abruzzo plateaus, following the ancient rhythm of the flocks.
From Nurri to Cerveteri: the story of Sergio Pitzalis
Every great cheese has a migration behind it, and that of the Pitzalis family is an epic one: in 1983, Sergio's father left Nurri, in the most authentic hinterland of Sardinia, and arrived in Lazio with his entire family—and their livestock in tow, bringing with him centuries of Sardinian sheep farming tradition. But if his father brought the sheep, it was his mother who brought the art: she was the guardian of the secrets of milk processing, learned from her maternal grandfather, a shepherd and cheesemaker. And it was she who passed them on to her children, step by step. For over twenty years, Sergio and his wife Marina have been transforming that heritage into sheep's milk cheeses steeped in history: in 2000, they opened the dairy, and since then, "L'Isola del Formaggio" has never stopped growing.
Caciofiore: a cheese born from a two-thousand-year-old book
In 2002, Sergio accomplished the feat that would establish him: he revived Caciofiore, the legendary cheese made with vegetable rennet from artichoke flowers, drawing inspiration directly from the treatise by the Latin agronomist Columella, written almost two thousand years ago. This archaeology of taste was recognized as a Slow Food Presidium in 2005. Today, Sergio Pitzalis is one of only five Roman producers accredited to produce Caciofiore: an ancient, vegetable-based creaminess unlike any other cheese in the world, and worth the trip to his dairy alone.
1500 sheep, 300 hectares and the transhumance towards Abruzzo
The company is a family affair in the truest sense: Sergio runs it with Marina and their three children, tending a herd of 1500 animals that graze semi-wild on approximately 300 hectares of hills surrounding Cerveteri. The milk for the cheeses comes exclusively from Sergio's own herds, fed natural fodder—barley, oats, and fava beans—without shortcuts. And then, every year, a ritual that few still practice: from July to October, the herds migrate to the rich pastures of the Abruzzo highlands, in the Sirente-Velino Park, where the mountain herbs lend the milk intense, unique flavors. This is why every wheel is different: the texture of the cheese, the color, the aroma, and the effects of aging tell the story of the pasture, the season, and the journey.
The gestures of the past, the flavors of always
Sergio's milk processing is a process of repetitive and expert hands, learned and passed down from generation to generation according to tradition: hands that know the curd as well as his shepherd grandfather knew his sheep. Careful aging completes the process, giving the cheeses those natural and unique flavors "like those of the past" that no industrial production can replicate. Buying a cheese from L'Isola del Formaggio means bringing home forty years of family history, two thousand years of cheesemaking expertise, and the aroma of two regions.
Why Choose Cheese Island?
Choosing Sergio Pitzalis means choosing milk exclusively from his own semi-wild herds, natural fodder, true transhumance, and artisanal production passed down through generations—with the pride of a Slow Food Presidium and a history that unites Sardinia, Lazio, and Abruzzo. At Al Passo Food, we bring his cheeses directly from the dairy to your table.
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