The pinecone fruit has long been a celebrated symbol of enlightenment and fertility, of divinity, immortality, and to some representing the third eye. Ancient Romans used the pinecone in architecture, painting, and sculpture. They also associated pinecones with Venus, the goddess of love.

Tucked along the eastern coast of Sicily, Taormina is a breathtakingly beautiful hill town overlooking the sea and best known for its proximity to Mt Etna (an active volcano), the ancient Greco-Roman theatre―Teatro Antico di Taormina, and a vibrant cultural scene. Two of these come together― the volcano and the artistry of Gabri Ceramica founded in 1961 by namesake Emilio Gabri. Hailed as producers of the finest ceramics in the region, the family-owned business is in the business of art. Along with their traditional lava stone tables, Francesco Gabri and his wife Silvia, with a few special artisans, create hand-painted ceramics.

Decorated in patterns and colors that evoke mornings as the light dances off the blue-green of the Ionian Sea far below, and afternoons as it swirls through the citrus trees and warms stone façades of ancient ruins and evenings when the colors of the food, the wine, the gardens, and the clothing― all creating the joyful and organic palette that is Taormina, quintessential Sicily.

Long conversations between the Gabris and the Italian Food Company founders, Tony and Isis Wright, about how to bring this special art to south Florida and the US have metamorphosed into a vision. That vision: a curated collection of tables in a variety sizes and shapes and colors/patterns, crafted by the artisans of Gabri Ceramica especially for Italian Food Company.