Sicily is the first Italian region official partner of Expo Milano 2015 and will lead the Cluster Bio-Med, a large area devoted entirely to the subject of biodiversity and therefore to the Mediterranean diet that uniformly cover 12 countries. The announcement was made by the Regional Agriculture, Dario Cartabellotta, during the press conference of the Region to institutional Vinitaly going on these days in Verona.
In addition to the pavilions dedicated to individual participating countries, the World Expo next year will, for the first time in history, also nine spaces, called Cluster, devoted to food chains and common themes. The Cluster will be dedicated to “Agriculture and Nutrition in arid”, “Islands, sea and nutrition”, “rice”, “Cocoa”, “Coffee”, “Fruit and vegetables”, “Cereals and tubers”, “Spice” and “Bio-Mediterranean” in Sicily will be the leader. To date this is the only Cluster led by a public institution. The award was made by a public tender in which the project presented by the Regional Agriculture was the winner. Cluster, over to Sicily, will be part of Albania, Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Montenegro, San Marino, Serbia and Tunisia. It is a space of 7,330 square meters, of which 1,900 dedicated to the common area.
The project involves the management of the restaurant, art exhibitions and market products within the municipality. The food will be prepared with raw materials Sicilian: wine, olive oil, red oranges, Pachino tomatoes, cheese, meat, fish, bread and cakes will be the protagonists of the boards, but also the market. Always in the common area will be installed a giant screen for communication and for the entertainment of visitors, but also to launch satellite links to the most beautiful places in the Mediterranean in all participating countries.
“The theme of the Bio-Mediterranean Cluster – says the commissioner Cartabellotta – is what has raised the most international interest. It is the place that celebrates the Mediterranean diet in the highest sense of the term, as described by UNESCO when he reserved the recognition of Intangible Heritage of Humanity. We are where the geography, history, traditions and culture, and they put us in the company of countries that have through the centuries side by side. We also because we are a region strongly committed to implement strategies to re-evaluate, protect and promote our products and this gave credibility to our proposal. ” In particular, four thematic exhibitions will be organized on “Along the routes of the Phoenicians,” that the people from which originates the tradition of the Mediterranean diet, “The journey of Odysseus”, a journey on the trails of the Homeric hero among the agricultural production various countries, “The wheat, fish, wine and oil”, a tour to find out how these foods have been declined in the various ethnic groups, “The ceramics Mediterranean”, centuries-old tradition in which the Sicilian occupies a place of relief.
“By partnering presented today, the Region of Sicily – said Stefano Gatti, Director General of the Division Participants of Expo 2015 SpA - Will play a key role in the development of the themes of the Cluster of Bio-Med. Because of its geographical location and its history Sicily is the liaison to the cultural ideal between Italy and the extraordinary wealth of experience of the peoples of the Mediterranean. The care in the preparation of the dishes and the quality of products and raw food typical of the Mediterranean will be enhanced within the Cluster as they are common elements to the traditions of the major countries that will participate. With the recent signing of the participation of Albania, in fact, the Cluster of Bio-Mediterranean recorded ‘sold out': all the available spaces have been assigned. ” An ad hoc area will house all the extra virgin olive oil in the Mediterranean. Will set up an oven to bake various types of bread, the staple food of the Mediterranean diet and symbol in all cultures. In addition, you will define a full entertainment program dedicated to school children in the morning, on weekends for families. Every afternoon, also, the square of the Cluster comes alive as a square of a village and will be organized meetings with people of culture and art, sports scientists, sommeliers, chefs, journalists with the formula of the aperitif.
In all events the figure of the woman will have a central role because it is his task to transmit across generations the traditions of the Mediterranean diet, the food preservation techniques, participating in agricultural production. This is why every country will indicate a godmother. Sicily, then, will be the star of the Exhibition for all 184 days, but also in all the stages of approach to the event: “In this way – concludes Cartabellotta – Sicily is set to become one of the territories of the tip to visit together with the Expo. The aim is precisely to intercept new tourism interested to know, in addition to our beauty, even our millennial food culture, a culture in which they are layered agricultural practices of all the peoples who crossed the island and today is summarized in three brands that promote the brand Sicily: the Doc wines, the IGP for the extra virgin olive oil and Quality Secure Sicily for products Born in Sicily. “
“The theme of the Bio-Mediterranean Cluster – says the commissioner Cartabellotta – is what has raised the most international interest. It is the place that celebrates the Mediterranean diet in the highest sense of the term, as described by UNESCO when he reserved the recognition of Intangible Heritage of Humanity. We are where the geography, history, traditions and culture, and they put us in the company of countries that have through the centuries side by side. We also because we are a region strongly committed to implement strategies to re-evaluate, protect and promote our products and this gave credibility to our proposal. ” In particular, four thematic exhibitions will be organized on “Along the routes of the Phoenicians,” that the people from which originates the tradition of the Mediterranean diet, “The journey of Odysseus”, a journey on the trails of the Homeric hero among the agricultural production various countries, “The wheat, fish, wine and oil”, a tour to find out how these foods have been declined in the various ethnic groups, “The ceramics Mediterranean”, centuries-old tradition in which the Sicilian occupies a place of relief.
“By partnering presented today, the Region of Sicily – said Stefano Gatti, Director General of the Division Participants of Expo 2015 SpA - Will play a key role in the development of the themes of the Cluster of Bio-Med. Because of its geographical location and its history Sicily is the liaison to the cultural ideal between Italy and the extraordinary wealth of experience of the peoples of the Mediterranean. The care in the preparation of the dishes and the quality of products and raw food typical of the Mediterranean will be enhanced within the Cluster as they are common elements to the traditions of the major countries that will participate. With the recent signing of the participation of Albania, in fact, the Cluster of Bio-Mediterranean recorded ‘sold out': all the available spaces have been assigned. ” An ad hoc area will house all the extra virgin olive oil in the Mediterranean. Will set up an oven to bake various types of bread, the staple food of the Mediterranean diet and symbol in all cultures. In addition, you will define a full entertainment program dedicated to school children in the morning, on weekends for families. Every afternoon, also, the square of the Cluster comes alive as a square of a village and will be organized meetings with people of culture and art, sports scientists, sommeliers, chefs, journalists with the formula of the aperitif.
In all events the figure of the woman will have a central role because it is his task to transmit across generations the traditions of the Mediterranean diet, the food preservation techniques, participating in agricultural production. This is why every country will indicate a godmother. Sicily, then, will be the star of the Exhibition for all 184 days, but also in all the stages of approach to the event: “In this way – concludes Cartabellotta – Sicily is set to become one of the territories of the tip to visit together with the Expo. The aim is precisely to intercept new tourism interested to know, in addition to our beauty, even our millennial food culture, a culture in which they are layered agricultural practices of all the peoples who crossed the island and today is summarized in three brands that promote the brand Sicily: the Doc wines, the IGP for the extra virgin olive oil and Quality Secure Sicily for products Born in Sicily. “
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