He was one of the pioneers of the Italian pasta industry. Bold and visionary entrepreneur, he lived through the two world wars, the economic crisis of 1929 and emigration to the United States of America in the 1920s. He devoted all his life to pasta, the “queen” of the Italian table, until June 16th, 2015, when he passed away at the age of 102.

Considered by many to be an enlightened entrepreneur, Attilio Mastromauro, the founder of Pastificio Granoro, defined himself as “a thinker and an imaginative person with no  limits” and was the last industrialist in the sector to have experienced the evolution of the cycle of the production of pasta, from natural drying in the sun up to modern electronically-controlled production lines.

Two values inspired the life and work of Mr. Attilio Mastromauro: his family with his beloved wife Chiara and their two daughters Marina and Daniela, now both in command of the company – and the constant commitment to research. “The search for the best – he explained – is a continuous and daily commitment, and tomorrow we can do better than yesterday”.

The story of Attilio Mastromauro is one that intersects with some great personalities of the twentieth century such as San Pio da Pietrelcina and the statesman Aldo Moro.

In a confession to the “Friar of the Stigmata”, in 1961, he confided that he wanted to start a business that was all his own, leaving the one started at the beginning of the century by his father Leonardo. The friar’s response was: “Go son and build your factory. It will do well”.

And now, on to the present day. For his constant research in product innovation as well as in process innovation, in May 2014 Attilio Mastromauro received the Gold Seal of the University of Bari, which is named after Moro himself.

The Rector Magnificus of the University of Bari in that year, Professor Antonio Felice Uricchio, handed him the prestigious award.

Before being awarded to the founder of Granoro, the last to receive it from the University of Bari was the President Emeritus of the Republic, Giorgio Napolitano.

From the 150 quintals of pasta at the beginning to the 3,500 formats today, from conquering Puglia to conquering the markets of the five continents where Granoro brand products are present, that of Attilio Mastromauro is the story of a man who has shown, throughout the world, what “pasta” (the material you’re made of) passion is made of.