FOR
VENEZIA
SAPONI • BURRI • OLI PER IL CORPO
OFFICINEVILLADORATA.IT
PER
In absolute exclusivity, Slowear Store introduces the line of soaps and products Officine Villadorata. Officine Villadorata was born in Noto, in the south-eastern tip of Sicily, from our passion for handcraft knowledge and the excellent raw materials of this region. We strive to recreate the “soap of ancient times�, as it was crafted in the past, with local ingredients, through simple gestures and traditional recipes. Handcraft brings back the human ingredient, often disregarded, to create a unique item that is able to transcend its main purpose and become a small piece of art.
THE TERRITORY Raw materials used to make our soap are carefully selected throughout Sicily, from the rich South East all the way through Etna and its incredible biodiversity until the mythological Aeolian Islands. Each area offering something unique like capers from Salina, pumice stone from Lipari or dark lava stone from Stromboli, all of them handpicked so to maintain unaltered their quintessence. The best of what the island offers is then blended with the key ingredient: fresh organic extra virgin oil to give life to the Officine Villadorata range of products (solid, liquid soaps and oils butters).
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MADE IN SICILY
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CRAFTSMANSHIP MADE IN SICILY The passion for everything « hand made » is what guides us throughout production process. The craftsmanship of the artisans we met along our path is priceless and we wish to preserve it as long as we can. So we don’t just select the finest raw materials that surround us, we also allow the wise Sicilian craftsmen to transform them, because only in this way we can pass on all their qualities to the final product.
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THE PLACE AND ITS STORY The majestic settings of Nicolaci Palace Villadorata in Noto welcome us in this journey in search of forgotten reality to be rediscovered. The ground floors of the Palace, which we currently occupy, have been abandoned for a long time, but originally they were the busiest part of the house and that is what we wish to bring back to life. These spaces were in fact used in the '700 for storage. The large estate of the Nicolaci family produced a whole lot of goods, such as extra virgin olive oil, lemons and oranges of Avola, almonds from Noto, prickly pears, and the other fruits. The inner courtyard, with its beautiful central well
ornate with jasmine, was once a lush garden, then it was turned into a place of encounter and exchange, on decision of Don Giacomo Nicolaci extraordinary figure who in 1737 gave birth to the modernization of the palace we admire today. With the same spirit of sharing the environment and the beauty that surrounds us, creations of Officine Villadorata are designed to evoke the soul of this place.
ORGANIC EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Undisputed main protagonist of our soap is the "liquid gold", as Homer called it, organic extra virgin olive oil, which gives the skin its many nutrients and antioxidant properties. Following ancestral traditions, we use the noblest raw material for “saponification� so to obtain a highly moisturizing and emollient soap. A high amount of extra virgin olive oil used in our basic dough such as 80 % for the solid soap and 90 % for the liquid soap, such a proportion is a distinctive feature to our Officine Villadorata products .
OUR PRODUCTS SOAP • BODY BUTTER • BODY OIL
SOAP BAR Officine Villadorata soap is entirely handmade throughout the process. For saponification, we only use organic extra virgin olive oil fresh from the crusher (80%), sustainable agriculture coconut oil (20%), which gives the right foaming, and some native natural raw materials from Sicily that constitutes the scents, true excellence of our island. Officine Villadorata soap contains no synthetic
MADE IN SICILY
chemical or preservatives and no test is performed on animals. We use only natural top quality ingredients. After a long period of maturation, at least 60 days, soap is ready to be wrapped and sealed by hand, one by one, before leaving the craft workshop and going to tell its story.
OFFICINEVILLADORATA.IT
SCENTS
Pure
Noto’s Almonds
Lipari Pumice
Stromboli Lava Stone
Orange Blossom
Modica Carrob
Salina Capers
Etna Wine Grape Pomice
Ragusa Donkey Milk
Etna Prickly Pears
PURO For Mediterranean people, olive oil has always been more than just food, but a magic potion and a source of richness and power. Olive tree is a sacred symbol of wealth and peace, and its oil gives strength and youth. Since ancient times it has been mixed with flowers and herbs to create potions and ointments. Olive oil is rich in polyunsaturated fats and substances that are similar to skin sebum.
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OFFICINEVILLADORATA.IT
NOTO ALMONDS In Sicily, almond tree found a perfect habitat, especially in the Val di Noto, between Syracuse and Ragusa. A distinctive variety, famous all over the world is grown in this region. The almonds are handpicked in the early hours of hot August days, and then placed onto white sheets to slowly dry in the sun. The thick and woody shell of this variety preserves the fruit’s ample quantity of vegetable fats and essential oils. This is nature’s way of protecting flavour and delicate scent.
LIPARI PUMICE Pumice stone is the symbol of Lipari Island, where white quarries overlook the sea. A distinction of this volcanic stone is its porosity. This trait allows it to float in water and gives it stunning purifying and soothing cosmetic properties. It is manually gathered and screened to preserve the purity and brightness. This ingredient is highly prized due to its high silica content, its volcanic origin and a uniquely bright colour.
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STROMBOLI LAVA STONE Stromboli Island, a savage and ancestral pearl of the Aeolian Archipelago, was formed by one of earth’s most active volcanoes. We carefully collect and sift the sundried lava powder that flows toward the sea. The lava is rich in silica and water, making it light and viscous. This way it becomes a perfect ingredient for a naturally invigorating and mineralizing scrub.
ORANGE BLOSSOM For every Sicilian, the scent of orange blossom recalls sensations between real and unreal; between events past and those only hoped-for. It is the scent of Sicily – the Sicilians’ flower, and the flower of those who love this island. A constant breath rises from the orchards, inebriating body and mind. It suddenly enfolds you, melds the delicate sensation of perfumes with the artistic joy of the mind, plunges you into a soothing well-being and a sense of happiness.
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OFFICINEVILLADORATA.IT
MODICA CAROB The carob tree is another symbol of Sicily. Widespread in the Modica area, it creates an evergreen landscape. The cosmetic use of it is not well known, though the handground carob flour has excellent moisturizing, regenerative and smoothing qualities. Carob seeds, hard like horn and with uniform mass, were called ‘carats’, and were used as counterweight for precious stones. Hence, the term carat that we still use today.
SALINA CAPERS Caper picking is still difficult today, and involves an almost sacred ritual that begins at dawn, when the buds are carefully handpicked one by one. Since antiquity, caper buds have been renowned for their healthful properties. Even then, they were used in antiaging potions. Combining them with extra virgin olive oil strengthens their anti-oxidant, healing and protective virtues.
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OFFICINEVILLADORATA.IT
ETNA WINE GRAPE POMICE Manually grown on the narrow and steep ledges typical of Etna’s landscape, pomace pressed from Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio grapes is rich in polyphenols and flavonoids. These anti-oxidants counter the free radicals that cause skin aging. It is Etna’s sandy and volcanic land that supplies the valuable minerals, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium, found in the grape pomace.
RAGUSA DONKEY MILK The Ragusa donkey breed has been saved from extinction and brought back to the farms. Ragusa donkey milk is obtained by hand milking, respecting the natural reproduction cycle. It has important nutritional characteristics as food and cosmetic. Its fatty acids and vitamins protect and renew the skin, with an anti-aging action, while specific anti-microbial enzymes perform an anti-inflammatory function on the skin.
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OFFICINEVILLADORATA.IT
ETNA PRICKLY PEARS Prickly pear is a highly versatile, multipurpose plant that loves the arid and volcanic soils found in Sicily. There, it has become an iconic plant. The flour obtained from its sun-dried pads is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, making it an excellent cosmetic ingredient. From the earliest of times, popular tradition praised the plant’s anti-inflammatory, soothing and protective properties.
LIQUID SOAP Handmade Officine Villadorata liquid soap is pure organic extra virgin olive oil (90%). Like our solid soap, no preservative or synthetic chemicals are used, neither is it tested on animals. In this all-natural mix, flour, pulp, and fruit added to enrich the oil, make the most of their qualities. The long craft process begins in small boilers where ingredients are transformed slowly into soap, and continue to "cook" at low temperature for six days, until maturity. The result mixture is then diluted in distilled water and left to decant until completely transparent. Only then liquid soap it is carefully poured in amber bottles to protect it from light and labelled by hand. In this process, warmth becomes a precious ingredient in Officine Villadorata soap.
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OFFICINEVILLADORATA.IT
SCENTS
Mothya Salts
Etna Prickly Pears
Salina Capers
Modica Carob
Orange Blossom
MOTHYA SALTS The marine salt from Mothya Island off Sicily’s western coast is probably the best know and most beloved in Italy. There is a saying that it’s even “saltier than salt”! In fact, it is rich in minerals — potassium, magnesium, iodine – also very precious for our skin.
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OFFICINEVILLADORATA.IT
SALINA CAPERS Caper picking is still difficult today, and involves an almost sacred ritual that begins at dawn, when the buds are carefully handpicked one by one. Since antiquity, caper buds have been renowned for their healthful properties. Even then, they were used in anti-aging potions. Combining them with extra virgin olive oil strengthens their anti-oxidant, healing and protective virtues.
ETNA PRICKLY PEARS Prickly pear is a highly versatile, multipurpose plant that loves the arid and volcanic soils found in Sicily. There, it has become an iconic plant. The flour obtained from its sun-dried pads is rich in vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants, making it an excellent cosmetic ingredient. From the earliest of times, popular tradition praised the plant’s anti-inflammatory, soothing and protective properties.
MADE IN SICILY
OFFICINEVILLADORATA.IT
MODICA CAROB The carob tree is another symbol of Sicily. Widespread in the Modica area, it creates an evergreen landscape. The cosmetic use of it is not well known, though the handground carob flour has excellent moisturizing, regenerative and smoothing qualities. Carob seeds, hard like horn and with uniform mass, were called ‘carats’, and were used as counterweight for precious stones. Hence, the term carat that we still use today.
ORANGE BLOSSOM For every Sicilian, the scents of orange blossom recalls sensations between real and unreal; between events past and those only hoped-for. It is the scent of Sicily – the Sicilians’ flower, and the flower of those who love this island. A constant breath rises from the orchards, inebriating body and mind. It suddenly enfolds you, melds the delicate sensation of perfumes with the artistic joy of the mind, plunges you into a soothing well-being and a sense of happiness.
MADE IN SICILY
OFFICINEVILLADORATA.IT
BODY OIL ETNA PRICLY PEARS A jojoba oil and shea butter base with no preservatives, nor synthetic chemicals enriched with a oily solution made with olive oil and freshly picked Etna prickly pears pulp. It has extraordinary cosmetic properties such as firming, toning, soothing, healing and anti-wrinkle. A multi purpose precious oil perfect for massage, hair, suncream as well as after sun cream and makeup remover. Can also be used rubbed on the body while showering or as bath oil. Prickly pear mucilage improves hydration, slows down skin aging process and helps preventing formation of wrinkles. Sage, lemon balm, lavender, ylang ylang essential oils give the oil its delicate floral aroma.
SALINA CAPER BUDS A jojoba oil and shea butter base with no preservatives, nor synthetic chemicals enriched with a oily solution made with olive oil and Salina caper buds freshly picked. It has emollient, moisturizing, soothing and anti-wrinkle properties . Oily solution is produced with high-quality organic extra virgin olive oil. Flavoured with sage, basil and lemon balm essential oils .
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Officine di Villadorata Via Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour, 53 96017 ¡ Noto ¡ Italia
OFFICINEVILLADORATA.IT