Author: Dr. Giovanna Del Bene
Pandoro is one of the most iconic symbols of the Italian Christmas. Its history is rooted in the city of Verona, where at the end of the nineteenth century Domenico Melegatti patented the recipe and the shape of the cake we know today. Pandoro is not only a gastronomic product, but also an emblematic example of how industrial property can protect and enhance Italian excellence. Melegatti was among the first Italian entrepreneurs to understand the importance of marketing and legal protection, transforming a local cake into a national phenomenon.
Origins and Patent
In 1894, Melegatti filed with the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce of the Kingdom of Italy the patent for the distinctive eight-pointed star-shaped mold, designed by the Impressionist painter Angelo Dall’Oca Bianca. The registration did not concern the recipe itself, but the shape of the cake.
The pandoro recipe appears to be the result of a reworking of two Christmas cakes typical of Verona: levà, a cake with sugar and almond granules, and nadalin, less buttery and more compact than pandoro, but already star-shaped and made with similar ingredients. Melegatti was able to combine the best of both recipes, creating a softer and richer version.
The name “pandoro,” on the other hand, derives from “pan de oro,” a Venetian Renaissance cake covered with thin sheets of gold, a symbol of luxury and prestige.
Today, the term “pandoro” is considered generic and cannot be monopolized by a single producer. However, the companies that manufacture it invest heavily in the protection of their trademarks, logos, and packaging, which represent the true competitive value. Packaging, for example, is often registered as a trademark or as a design, in order to prevent imitations that could confuse consumers.
Innovation and New Challenges
In recent years, pandoro has been reinterpreted with fillings, glazes, and creative variations, which can be protected, for example, through design rights. Often, in the food and confectionery sector, new or improved solutions are introduced (e.g., production processes, innovative ingredients, baking molds, product treatment methods, facilitated mold-opening mechanisms, and so forth): these innovations can be protected as invention patents or utility models. In addition, recipes and images can be protected by copyright law.
Conclusion
Pandoro is much more than a Christmas cake: it is an example of how industrial property can transform a tradition into an economic and cultural asset. Patents, trademarks, and designs are not merely legal instruments, but strategic levers to protect and enhance the identity of a product that tells the story and creativity of Italy.
Heartfelt best wishes: may tradition warm you and innovation inspire you, just as pandoro teaches!
© Thinx – December 2025