Guelphs and Ghibellines
The San Pellegrino water is known as “the champagne of mineral waters”, due to the fineness of its taste and its light carbonation.
San Pellegrino is located near Bergamo, Italy, 25 km from Milan. Its water flows from sources situated at the foot of the Alps and renown throughout the world. In fact, the water’s properties have been known since the fifteenth century.
According to legend, Leonardo da Vinci was the first to analyze the water, which he described as “miraculous”. Moreover, analysis of San Pellegrino’s water today has revealed that it is very similar to water samples taken in 1748.
Since the thirteenth century, its springs have appreciated and visited by famous people, who have helped to spread its fame.
The San Pellegrino brand was created in 1899. In 1932, the San Pellegrino company launched a new product, orangeade, which was met with immediate success. In 1956, it came out with another beverage, this time called Chinotto, which also became very popular.
San Pellegrino products have been showcased in some of the best films made over the last half century.
For instance, since it was first seen on the big screen in 1949 in The Emperor of Capri alongside the actor Totò, San Pellegrino has been chosen by renowned international productions.
Having gained prestige, it has become the water of choice for famous actors and directors, and is now a status symbol around the world.
The product is associated with Alberto Sordi in The Seducer and is found in Federico Fellini‘s masterpiece from 1960 entitled The Sweet Life, which was responsible for the world-wide dissemination of the “Live in Italian” way of life.
In From Russia with Love, 007 cannot escape San Pellegrino’s allure.
The star of carbonated water has appeared in many other films, such as La grande bouffe, Give me your Hand, The Player, Absolute Power, The Royal Tenenbaums, Changing Lanes, Meet the Fockers, Ocean’s Twelve, Sex and the City – the Movie, and State of Play.
It is seen alongside Woody Allen in many of his films, including the recent Whatever Works, as well as with Diablo Cody in Juno.
In The Devil Wears Prada, the cult film set in the world of fashion and glossy magazines, Miranda, played by Meryl Streep, is surrounded with bottles of San Pellegrino in almost every scene.
It is also worth mentioning that the star of San Pellegrino also shines on the small screen in highly successful television series like Sex and the City, House, and Eli Stone.
In light of all of the above, what other brand of water do you think that Robert Langdon could have drank to swallow the bitter pills at Sienna’s place?
Langdon began chewing and instantly cringed. The pills were bitter, clearly meant to be swallowed whole. Dr. Brooks opened the refrigerator and handed Langdon a half-empty bottle of San Pellegrino. He gratefully took a long drink.
(Dan Brown, Inferno)
Pictures by Wikipedia
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Respectfully, your last comment is inaccurate, though this post is a few months old so someone else may have already commented thusly.
Robert Langdon was in Sienna’s apartment when she gave him the caffeine pills to chew, and he washed them down with a bottle of San Pellegrino from her refrigerator.
Thank you.
Mindy, thank you so much! We have updated the information.