Crossing Tiber river and heading south, you can see Fior di Luna, a low-profile but authentic store, is located on the main street of Rome, Italy.
Finding the art of Gelato
The name of the shop “Fior di Luna” derives from a 1979 novel The Never Ending Story. It means the spirit and the culture of this shop will be widely circulated like a story that never ends. Fior di Luna was founded by two brothers, Fabio and Aldo Pasquarella.Their parents bought a café shop in 1974. In 1994, Fabio and Aldo set up the ice cream shop inside the café. In 2007, they moved the shop to Trastevere.
Their faith, which was best interpreted by distinguished American inventor R. Buckminster Fuller’s quote, could be obviously seen in the store: You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.
Searching the ideal Gelato
Fabio said the store is their great accomplishment of pursuing ice cream art. They follow the traditional method of making ice cream, creating the smooth taste by using fresh and healthy ingredients. To maintain the quality of ice cream, the Pasquarellas purchase materials directly from the farmers. Only by doing so can they truly observe and comprehend the farmers’ ideas and methods of cultivation, which keeps the materials in best condition.
As I entered Fior di Luna, the lemon fragrance in the air immediately impressed me. Fresh fruit scent was refreshing. Behind the shop was where the ice cream was made. Thirty kinds of flavors presented in front of me. When I looked closer, I realized these ice creams were more like solid form instead of soft liquid form. This is why Fior di Luna is special: the ice cream with lower air density.
No ice cream cone
Besides ice cream with more solid taste, Fior di Luna only uses paper cup as container. There is no decorated ice cream cone for customers to choose. To the general public, isn’t it weird?
According to Fabio however, the materials that are used to make ice cream cone have unreliable sources. Using it contradicts with his faith of operating the shop. Also, because the way Fior di Luna made ice cream is special, the ice cream has different degree of softness, which causes more difficulty for staffs to put them on ice cream cone. Therefore, in order to make the work more convenient and more fluent, paper cup is a better choice.
Organic Ingredients and Cocoa
Fior di Luna is the first ice cream shop in Rome that utilized organic ingredients, which were displayed on the shelf, such as cocoa beans from different places of origin, and pistachios from Sicilia, Italy. These ingredients require organic certification, and have to meet the high qualification set by the Pasquarellas. Besides some common flavors like pistachios, vanilla, and sobrets, Fior di Luna also makes cocoa flavor using beans from different areas, including Peru and Tanzania.
Transparent Flavour- Beyond tasting
Another thing that the Pasquarellas care about is promoting transparent flavor by establishing “Gelato Community.” From time to time, there are some small gatherings in the store, providing customers a chance to understand the growing process and idea behind these role materials. Holding the gathering makes Fior di Luna become more than a place to taste ice cream. It has turned into a place with deep connection with people, which is why it is so attracting! Despite the fact that many cheap, delicious, but health-damaged ice cream flooded the market, the Pasquarellas stick to their own rules and create exclusive ice cream in their small store, providing ice cream lovers a fresh and distinguished choice.
In addition to famer gathering, ice cream-making courses program are organised at Fior di Luna as well, providing another way for customers to know more about ice cream. If you are a gelato lover, curious about things related to gelato, or simply want to try high-quality ice cream, Fior di Luna is your best choice!
Fabio, Founder of Fior di Luna
Find Fior di Luna on the map.
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The Ice Cream Map 
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