The secret recipe, which has remained the same since its creation, is based on some of the natural substances found in the artichokes, including 'cynarine'. Created by Angelo Dalle Molle, a Venetian entrepreneur and philanthropist, Cynar was launched in Italy in 1952. Since then, the brand has grown and is now distributed internationally. Cynar became popular in Italy thanks to the first ads (during the Italian "Carosello") performed by the famous actor, Ernesto Calindri and the claim "Cynar, against the attrition of modern life".