The history of Panificio Perrone begins in 1890, when bread in the Sassi of Matera was kneaded by hand in homes, by every family.
In those years, Nicola Perrone, the family patriarch, began to produce bread for his own large family and, at the same time, to collect the dough prepared by the inhabitants of the Sassi to bake it in his old wood-fired oven. It was from that small oven that a tradition was born, destined to become part of the history of Matera bread.
In 1918, Giuseppe Perrone, Nicola's son, continued the journey started by his father by opening one of the first bakeries in Matera in via Santo Stefano, in the heart of the Sassi area. Over the years, the family perfected their blend of ingredients and selected flours, gradually building the identity of their bread: a simple, recognizable product deeply rooted in the local area.
After enduring the difficult years of wars and the depopulation of the Sassi, the family tradition continued with Santino Perrone. In 1960, Santino opened a new bakery in modern Matera, on Via Nazionale, continuing to bake bread with the same dedication he had received from previous generations.
Santino Perrone was a pivotal figure in the family's history; he is also credited with the creation of a unique bread, Pane Santino, characterized by a thick crust and little crumb, which is still produced by Panificio Perrone today.
He was also among the first entrepreneurs from Matera to make the bread of the City of Sassi known outside of Basilicata.
In 1990, Giuseppe Perrone, Santino’s son, opened the current bakery at 96 Via Dante Alighieri, continuing the family business with the same respect for tradition. In 2014, he also reopened an old wood-fired oven in the Agna district, linked to the history of the most authentic Matera, where bread-making still preserves the value of gestures from times gone by.
Today, Francesco Perrone represents the new generation of the family. With his project, he carries on the bakery's history, combining tradition, craftsmanship, and a more modern vision: to introduce Pane di Matera and typical Perrone bakery products beyond the local area, through e-commerce and social media presence.
The goal remains the same as always: to bring to tables bread that retains the flavor of yesteryear and tells, in every loaf, the story of a family that has been baking with passion for five generations.
