Big celebrations in Astino, Bergamo

Sunday 29th May, the monastery of Astino (Bergamo), 8 pm. An important place and time, worth noting down: it will unite three big events, the official opening of the Year of Tourism in Lombardy; the international preview of the Ea(s)t Lombardy - European Region of Gastronomy in 2017 project; and the 50th anniversary of restaurant Da Vittorio, a historic point of reference in Lombardy’s and international fine dining. On this occasion, over 20 chefs from starred restaurants across East Lombardy will meet, so as to celebrate Bruna Cerea, with Enrico, Francesco, Barbara, Roberto and Rossella. The event will be open to the public, starting at 8 pm on 29th May. More info here.

As we mentioned, the event, a real media springboard for which international press is also awaited, is set to take place in the millennial monumental building of Astino, a stone’s throw away from the centre of Bergamo. 600 guests will be able to enjoy the delicacies of the starred chefs forming the excellent restaurant heritage of East Lombardy, which was indeed assigned the title of Erg – European Region of Gastronomy in 2017.

Wine and food, it’s a known fact, have acquired a central role in the expectations and motivations of travellers, becoming a crucial element for the attraction and promotion of a destination. The wine and food heritage, by uniting with elements of a wider offer always characterised by quality, represents an essential element in the valorisation of an area’s territorial offer.

Hence the choice of celebrating the 50th anniversary of restaurant Vittorio which happens, not by chance, to be on 29th May, coinciding with the opening of the Year of Tourism in Lombardy: one of the important activities promoted by the Regione Lombardia which will also be promoted through inLombardia, the destination brand valorising the territory’s attractions through a modern and innovative story and the involvement of local brands.

The Sapore inLombardia project follows the same approach of vertical experience: it’s a mix of activities dedicated to promoting wine and food tourism by Regione Lombardia and Explora, the tourism promotion agency of Regione Lombardia and Lombardy’s chambers of commerce. The Sapore inLombardia project has master Gualtiero Marchesi as the ideal spokesperson for the beginning of a journey of contamination between art, history, culture and wine and food in the first place.

It will be the ideal continuation of the good practices adopted during Expo in terms of collaboration and coordination between all of Lombardy’s cities, «because our region – as declared by the president of Regione Lombardia, Roberto Maroni – is indeed known as an economic giant but we’re also the first agricultural region in Italy and a place that can boast unique beautiful places and delicacies».

«Food is identity and meeting – commented Mauro Parolini, Economic Development assessor at Regione Lombardia – And great cuisine is the result of the creativity of brilliant chefs and of a strong connection with the territory, as well as with tradition. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of a great restaurant means pointing out the value of this virtuous connection and enhancing its great touristic significance. I’m sure this event will contribute in valorising the attractiveness and promoting traditional cuisine, signature cuisine and the supply chain involved on an international scale».

These are the themes we’ll have the chance to present to the national and international press representatives carefully selected by Identità Golose, a publication that over the years has managed to acquire reputation and know how in the wine and food scene. The goal is to reach an imposing international media response so as to enrich the Lombardy brand with wine and food excellence.

Every chef will be able to use a kitchen station where to present, prepare and serve a carefully selected dish. Guests will thus move following an itinerary formed by culinary islands that will promote good food and its territories, islands around which there will be music performances and a display of local products.

All this joins the success of Da Vittorio, the story of the talent of Vittorio Cerea who, together with his wife Bruna, opened his restaurant in Bergamo in 1966. At the time, seafood cuisine, which became one of the restaurant’s strongpoints, was still hard to be found in menus, shaded by the primacy of meat. It was a brave challenge, which they won thanks to daily supplies of exceptional quality and delicious preparations that transformed Bergamo into a not to be missed food destination. The Michelin guide rewarded Da Vittorio with the first star in 1978 and the second in 1996. In the Zero Years, international acknowledgements arrived: first it became part of the Relais Gourmand network, and then, a few months after the restaurant moved to the elegant villa with bedrooms in the countryside of Cantalupa, Brusaporto, it entered the Relais&Chateaux and Les Grandes Tables du Monde networks. Finally, in 2010, the yearned third Michelin star arrived.

Then there’s the Erg – European Region of Gastronomy 2017. East Lombardy, that is to say the territory included in the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona and Mantua obtained the title of European Region of Gastronomy in 2017. The prestigious acknowledgement launched an unprecedented collaboration between territories with different touristic characteristics and resources yet sharing an excellent cultural, touristic and most of all food and wine offer.

By joining their efforts, the 10 partners in the project (Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona and Mantua, the respective Chambers of Commerce, Regione Lombardia and Università di Bergamo) intend to promote a sole large tourism destination, focusing on the meeting of artistic and natural heritage and great wine and food tradition.

The event, as already mentioned, will be open to the public from 8 pm on 29th May. The price of the ticket is 130 euros and it can be bought online here.