In Florence, sustainable gastronomy becomes a shared story
On September 6, Villa Bardini will host IN-Sostenibile, the festival that brings together chefs, farmers, winemakers, and culinary artisans. A day filled with tastings, talks, music, and signature cuisine, to rediscover the human and cultural value of the food supply chain.
There is a moment, before a dish reaches the table, when everything still carries the scent of the earth.
It is the moment of sowing, of tending, of waiting. The time of those who cultivate, raise, harvest, and transform. Work that is often unseen but essential—without which even the most refined culinary expression would lose its meaning.
Contemporary cuisine seems to have finally grasped this: the value of a creation lies not only in the chef’s technique, aesthetics, or ability to surprise, but also in the quality of the ingredients and the relationship built with those who produce them.
It is from this awareness that IN-Sostenibile was born, the traveling green festival conceived by chefs Simone Cipriani and Fabrizio Bartoli, which will stop in Florence on Sunday, September 6, 2026, for a special Urban Edition hosted at Villa Bardini.
A place suspended between art, nature, and panoramic views, which for an entire day will become a space for discussion on the gastronomy of the future.
Beyond the Concept of a Supplier
IN-Sostenibile stems from a simple yet profoundly contemporary idea: to restore the leading role to agricultural producers.
No longer figures behind the scenes, but active participants alongside chefs, capable of sharing the origins of ingredients, production choices, their connection to the local area, and the daily challenges of farming that strives to be more environmentally friendly.
During the festival, every dish will therefore be the result of an encounter.
On one side are those who grow, raise, or produce. On the other are those who transform those ingredients through the language of cuisine. At the center is the audience, invited not only to taste but also to learn.
Sustainability is thus lifted out of the abstract realm of slogans to become a concrete experience, made up of faces, stories, actions, and shared responsibility.
A Day in the Greenery of Villa Bardini
The event will begin at 11 a.m. with a free yoga class on the lawn. A symbolic opening, dedicated to listening to the body and connecting with the surrounding environment.
From noon to 8 p.m., the large, open-air gourmet picnic will come to life, spread across eight stations. At each station, a chef will collaborate with a partner farm to present a dish in which plant-based ingredients take center stage.
This is not merely a series of tastings, but a journey that connects flavor to origin, pleasure to knowledge, and culinary creativity to responsible production.
Accompanying the event will be artisanal wines selected by Bibo Potabile, cocktails—including non-alcoholic options—crafted by bartender Julian Biondi, talks hosted by Simona Bellocci, and a musical selection curated by the DJ Introspettiva collective.
The concurrent Jazz Festival will also help transform the park into a true meeting place where gastronomy, culture, and live music converge.
From the Bolgheri countryside to the city
The story of IN-Sostenibile begins in 2022, in the years immediately following the pandemic.
Simone Cipriani and Fabrizio Bartoli envisioned an event capable of creating a network among chefs, farmers, winemakers, restaurateurs, and communicators. The first edition was organized at Podere Arduino, in the hills of Bolgheri, initially as an experiment.
However, the project met with an immediate response. The audience grew, collaborations increased, and the festival gradually became a laboratory of ideas on food sustainability.
Over time, new figures joined the project, including Damiano Donati and Julian Biondi, while the event solidified its identity: not a traditional gastronomic showcase, but a temporary community where different areas of expertise come together and engage in dialogue.
When a flood struck Podere Arduino in 2024, the event continued uninterrupted. On the contrary, that experience reinforced the value of collaboration and transformed the festival into a symbol of resilience.
In 2026, a new phase began: IN-Sostenibile became a traveling festival, with two annual events and the desire to bring its message to urban settings as well.
Florence thus represents a natural progression: a city where artistic and cultural heritage can meet a new vision of gastronomic culture.
The Chefs and Producers
Among the featured participants at the picnic are Manuel Innocenzi of Corale in Castelfiorentino; Emanuele Turchi and Marlene Gerboni of Manifattura Culinaria in Empoli; Elisa Masoni of Molino Trattoria in Calenzano; and Alessio Ninci and Lorenzo Chirimischi of Santabarbara in Florence.
Also in attendance will be Gaetano Trovato of Bis Osteria in Colle di Val d’Elsa, Matteo Giaconi of Underground, Simone Gambini of Azzighe in Livorno, and Giuseppe Polzinetti of Emidio Pepe in Torano Nuovo.
Joining them will be the farms Circular Farm, Bucolica, Fattoria di Triboli, Siro Petracchi, Le Caprine, Caseificio Leoni, Cavolo a Merenda, and Formaveg.
Different experiences, united by a common vision: to produce with care, respecting natural cycles, biodiversity, and the identity of the local areas.
The Signature Dinner
At 8:30 p.m., the festival will continue at the restaurant La Leggenda dei Frati, where a dinner dedicated to plant-based cuisine will be held.
Taking turns in the kitchen will be Marco Stabile of Ora d’Aria, Gaetano Trovato of Arnolfo, Damiano Donati of Fattoria Sardi, Simone Cipriani of Underground, and Fabrizio Bartoli of Osteria Ancestrale.
The dinner will mark the culmination of a journey that began in the fields and continued among the picnic stations: a gastronomic reflection on the possibility of creating a cuisine that is creative without losing touch with the land.
A New Culture of Taste
The strength of IN-Sostenibile lies in its commitment to transcending traditional hierarchies.
Chefs and producers stand on equal footing, because both contribute to the creation of the dish. The former interprets; the latter makes it possible. The former transforms; the latter preserves.
Together, they tell the story of a supply chain that is not merely economic, but cultural and human.
From this perspective, sustainability is not simply about reducing waste or using local ingredients. It means recognizing the value of labor, respecting nature’s rhythms, building more equitable relationships, and restoring dignity to every stage of production.
At Villa Bardini, for one day, food will thus become a common language.
A way to talk about the local area, responsibility, and the future. But also to remember that behind every ingredient there is a person, and that every truly meaningful dish begins long before it enters the kitchen.
