I have seen these signs all over Italy.
But I had not really looked at them carefully. I read a blog by Zoe Boccabella, and she recently wrote about Tabacchi, the shops in Italy where you can buy cigarettes, bus tickets, lottery tickets, top up your phone cards and pay bills.
What I hadn’t realised was that they were, for a long time, the only places you could buy salt when it was a monopoly of the state. This is why the word salt…Sali…is included in the sign.
We have a Tabacchi in Ponte a Serraglio, but it has a new sign where the word salt doesn’t appear…pity really. Maybe the traditional signs are on the way out.
Voting for the Italy Magazine Blog Awards closes on 28th February. It appears that you can vote many times. I would love it if you would click here to vote for Bella Bagni di Lucca in the Best Single Art and Culture Post.
…and here to vote for the Best Single Travel Post.
The winners are announced on 3rd March. I will tell you the good, or bad news as soon as I know.
Bella Bagni di Lucca 
Very interesting. I remember seeing sali but did not think about it. I feel sure it will be good news Deb
I had not noticed the Sali before, or I might have questioned it. Thanks Zoe.
Zoe ???
Zoe Boccabella, whose blog I refered to in the post, where I read about the sign. She is a writer from Brisbane. If you click her name you will go to her blog.
Thanks I was confused
On tobacco the initials MS stand for monopolio dello stato. Some wags, however, say the initials stand for Morte Sicura (trans. Certain death!)
I like the second version. I don’t understand why anyone smokes any more. It is expensive, stinks, is ugly and it kills you.
Who would ever imagine salt being monopolized by the state.
that’s an intriguing combination. I can understand why salt would have been a sought after commodity – presumably because it preserved food – but tobacco, I suppose it was never cheap. Funny that Lotto has moved into position now that salt has slipped in the popularity stakes – money and tobacco. BTW – done and done.
Salt monopoly…very interesting.
Fingers crossed Deb!!! I’ve clicked and will be clicking some more!!!!!!!!!!
R
Sali….very enlightening post. All the best to you on the Blog Awards. You certainly have a wonderful blog!
Thank you, good luck with yours too, you always have great information.
Very interesting about the fact that salt used to be a monopoly.