The History of Food in Italy

This 2 week program gives an overview of the evolution of the food system in Italy. By food system we mean everything to do with food, including its production, storage, processing, distribution, cooking and consumption. Organized around four historical periods of Italian food history (classical world; middle ages; 16th to 18th centuries and the introduction of American crops in Europe; and the contemporary industrialized world), this course is made up of classroom lectures with hands-on experience in an experimental cooking workshop, which is not meant to be a cooking class but a place where students can experiment with old recipes or processes used to transform, store or cook food.

Course leader

Tommaso Lucchetti Contact information: pwithers@iirpsemail.org (718) 768-3508 Deadline for application is March 15, 2016

Target group

This course is aimed at people studying university level social or economic history, anthropology, nutrition, or people who are seriously interested in the history of food (serious foodies).

Course aim

An important goal of SGPS is the safeguarding of cultural heritage in small inhabited centers; our various educational programs have studied the cultural heritage of San Gemini, a small city that until very recently was an agrarian society where most people were involved in agriculture. Understanding the history of this town inevitably requires understanding the history of its food. As part of our efforts to understand this aspect of the town’s heritage, SGPS is offering a new two week course giving an overview of the evolution of the food system in Italy.