Heritage...since 1899
Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water, which dates back to the Romans, became part of the Nestlé Waters North America family of brands in 1999. Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water, Italy’s most famous spring water, comes from the region of Tuscany and is the ideal still water for dining occasions.
Legend has it that Romans built the only road from Northern to Southern Italy through Scarperia. This road went past the Acqua Panna spring, which provided deserved refreshment to weary travelers.
In the 1500s, terra cotta pipes were discovered near the source. These pipes were used to transport the natural spring water to the noble Medici Family, the wealthiest, most powerful and influential family in Florence. The Medici’s home, called Villa Panna, is located on the land surrounding the source. The cream-colored villa provides the name for the brand, “Panna,” which means “cream” in Italian. The lion’s head found on the Acqua Panna logo was originally part of the fountain at Villa Panna.
In the 1860s, the first Panna water was manually bottled from a plant built in one of the Medici’s farm buildings. Sold in demijohns or fiashi, straw-covered glass flasks now used for Chianti wine, the water was delivered by horse and cart to Florence. In 1927, after World War I, the water was bottled in glass on an industrial scale. In 1959, Sanpellegrino SpA purchased the plant, and in 1970 the brand was re-launched as the first still water sold in plastic bottles in Italy. The Panna plant quickly became one of the most technologically advanced bottling plants in Europe. In 1994, Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water was first exported to the United States. Today, Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water is the premier imported still water in fine dining establishments in the United States.