Syracuse loses one of its most well-known, eclectic, and original figures. Franco Neri, master pastry chef and soul of the historic pasticceria Alfio Neri, has passed away, known well beyond the city's borders also thanks to his "Cannolotherapy". Neri died after a long illness. The news has caused deep sorrow in the city.
Born in 1960, Neri belonged to a family that has been running the pastry business in Syracuse since 1952. However, his professional story was never limited to pastry. A man of many passions, he had cultivated an interest in theater, music, and culture from a young age, managing over the years to transform his activities into opportunities for meeting and gathering.
His most famous invention remains "Cannolotherapy", a registered trademark that has become a sort of ambassador for Sicilian identity over the years. The idea was simple yet original: to transform the tasting of the cannolo into an experience capable of engaging all the senses, recovering the time and pleasure of conviviality. A philosophy that Neri had also brought outside Sicily, with events and initiatives organized in various Italian cities.
The success of his intuition even reached the university level. A student from the University of Turin had indeed dedicated part of her thesis to "Cannolotherapy", studying aspects related to trademark protection and digital marketing. This story was recounted by La Sicilia, in an interview where Neri reflected on a life lived between pastry, art, music, and cultural initiatives.
