— Messina, The first Barbera roasting

— The Founder: Domenico Barbera

1st GENERATION

In 1870, in Messina, Domenico Barbera started a small business of coffee roasting.His skill at roasting coffee at dawn with a small, manual, coal-burning machine earned him the title ‘The Coffee Wizard’.

Caffè Barbera was just born.

2nd GENERATION

Following the death of Domenico Barbera (1903) and the catastrophic earthquake of Messina (1908), Antonio Barbera, son of the founder, rebuilt the company from practically nothing, becoming a point of reference for the supply of coffee for Sicily and Calabria.

- Antonio Barbera with his son Domenico

3rd GENERATION

In the historic inter-war period, Antonio’s passion, handed down also to his son Domenico, overcame the hardship of the war: the entrepreneurial growth of Barbera showed no signs of stopping.

— Vittorio Barbera

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4th GENERATION

The years of the economic boom saw the construction of a new building thanks to Domenico, who, in 1970, left the reins of the business in the hands of his son, Vittorio. With great entrepreneurial skill, he transformed the family business into one of the leading coffee roasters in Italy, notably increasing production capacity. The exportation of Caffè Barbera overseas was started.

- Antonio and Francesco Barbera

5th GENERATION

With the beginning of the new millennium, the leadership of the company passed to Vittorio’s sons, Antonio and Francesco. Under the management of the two brothers, coffee roasting witnessed further growth: focus on excellent production standards and an environmental policy allowed the company to obtain important international certifications. Attention to customer service and signing prestigious partnerships has led to the consolidation of the Barbera brand, both in Italy and abroad.

— Alessandra, Vittorio e Federica Barbera

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6th GENERATION

In 2014, Federica, Vittorio and Alessandra, Antonio and Francesco’s children joined the company. These new actors in the history of Caffè Barbera, with great experience acquired abroad, have brought a wave of dynamism aimed at consolidating the Barbera brand all over the world, even more.

— Barbera grocery shop at the end of the 19th century Via Garibaldi - Messina