Gelato Museum Carpigiani

From 27 to 29 September in Anzola Emilia (Bologna), the inauguration of the first museum dedicated to the history, culture, and technology of artisan gelato.

"The Carpigiani Foundation has made a great dream come true: a home for the history of gelato that allows operators to understand their roots and origins and the public to discover how such a fine food could be conceived, cultivated, and developed" (Luciana Polliotti).

The sweet countdown has begun: On 27 September 2012 the Carpigiani Gelato Museum will open to the public. The museum is an innovative structure dedicated to the study, documentation, and dissemination of the history, values, and culture of artisan gelato, a fresh, high-quality food that represents Italian excellence and creativity throughout the world. The opening will be followed by two more days of inaugural activities including guided tours, workshops for children, gelato tasting, and many other delicious surprises.

"The objective of the Carpigiani Gelato Museum is to become a point of reference for the sector, to highlight the roots and history of this quality food and the gelato artisans that produce it, bringing excellence, creativity, and flavor to customers worldwide," explains Romano Verardi, President of the Bruto and Poerio Carpigiani Foundation. Verardi further observed, "We are pleased that this initiative came together just a short time after the official establishment of the European Gelato Day (March 24). We join hands in proudly recognizing this achievement with the ArtGlace Association, which worked hard to obtain this recognition from the European government."

The 1000 square meter museum space has been carved out of the current Carpigiani headquarters. The complex is built around a central garden that connects the various areas of the building including showrooms and the Carpigiani Gelato Museum itself.

According to the architects and curators, "From its origins to today, the museum features an interactive tour that highlights three principal themes regarding gelato: the evolution of gelato over time, the history of production technology, and the places and means of consuming gelato. More than 20 original machines will find a new home in the Carpigiani Gelato Museum, along with multimedia presentations, 10,000 historical images and documents, precious accessories and tools of the trade from ages past, video interviews, and workshops."

The Gelato Museum fulfills the dream of our founders, Bruto and Poerio Carpigiani, the two Bolognese brothers who made it their job to spread gelato technology, culture, and business throughout the world.

The museum hosts a wide range of objects and machines that illustrate the history of gelato. Further, conscious of the fundamental role attributed by UNESCO to intangibles like knowledge and experience, the museum has gathered a number of audio-visual testimonies from people who have played a key role in gelato history.

The museum is a place of tradition, memory, and identity, where gelato can be experienced as an important part of European food culture. It highlights artisan gelato's roots and sheds light on the history of artisan gelato and the artisans that developed it and promoted it on a global scale, to the point where today it is recognized by UNESCO as part of humanity's world heritage as a healthy source of nutrition. The museum underlines the technological evolution of gelato machines over time, for the most part Made in Italy and focused on innovation in food safety and producing a product that is particularly indicated for health and good nutrition.

Opens 27 September 2012, Via Emilia 45, 40011 Anzola dell’Emilia, Bologna. Open Monday to Saturday, tickets free (for the moment) with guided tour, reservation required.
Workshops on Artisan Gelato for children, youth, and adults.
Information: www.gelatomuseum.org - +39 051 6505306 - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it