At Casa Artusi, cuisine becomes language, memory, and a right.

Four events at the Festa Artusiana explore food as a living heritage, through words, gastronomic identity, and the new challenges facing the restaurant industry

The cuisine of CASA ARTUSI is not merely a collection of recipes, ingredients, and techniques. It is an evolving language, a memory passed down through generations, a narrative of the regions, and—today more than ever—a professional field governed by rules, responsibilities, and new skills.

It is around this idea that Casa Artusi has organized four events scheduled for Thursday, July 2, and Friday, July 3, as part of the 30th Festa Artusiana in Forlimpopoli.

The central theme is “Being Heritage,” understood not simply as the preservation of the past, but as the ability to recognize Italian gastronomic culture as a living legacy in constant transformation.

The series begins on Thursday, July 2, at 7:00 p.m. with the presentation of the book I nomi del pane e della pasta by Valentina Iosco, in conversation with Veronica Ricotta of the University for Foreigners of Siena. Born out of the AtLiTeG research project, the book traces the origin and evolution of over 170 words related to Italian gastronomy.

A linguistic journey that demonstrates how the country’s culinary heritage is also conveyed through names, shifts in vocabulary, and the traces left by communities and regions.

Because every food-related word holds a story. It recounts cultural shifts, migrations, domestic customs, and social relationships. Bread and pasta—the quintessential symbols of Italian cuisine—thus become tools for deciphering the identity of a country that has always known how to transform the dining table into a shared language. Following the event, an Artusian aperitif will be served in collaboration with Caviro.

At 9:00 p.m., the focus shifts to Sardinia with L’Isola che c’è: la cucina domestica di Sardegna, a lecture by Raimondo Mandis dedicated to one of Italy’s richest—and, at the same time, least-documented—culinary traditions. Through a journey into the island’s food culture, the value of a culinary tradition will emerge—one passed down for centuries almost exclusively through oral history, and surprisingly absent even from Pellegrino Artusi’s famous cookbook.

The evening will continue with the performance Storie di Grazia e di amicizia, a tribute to Grazia Deledda on the centennial of her Nobel Prize, performed by Paola Contini and Paola Sabbatani. Literature, music, and memory will intertwine in a narrative that restores cuisine to its deepest role: that of an intimate, identity-defining, familial, and collective space.

On Friday, July 3, at 7:00 p.m., the spotlight will be on *Il Conviviale*. Arts, stories, and cultures of food and dining halls, an editorial and research project conceived by Professor Tommaso Lucchetti together with students from the Gastronomic Sciences program at the University of Parma. The series explores the convivial gathering as a cultural phenomenon, portraying food not merely as nourishment, but as a meeting point between history, philosophy, agriculture, craftsmanship, and collective identity.

From this perspective, the table becomes a space for connection. A place where knowledge is passed down, communities come together, and culture takes shape through everyday gestures.

The evening will conclude with an Artusian aperitif and a presentation by the Tozzi-Fabbri Farm, featuring its Pollo Romagnolo.

At 9:00 p.m., the focus shifts to a highly topical issue with the presentation of the book A Cena con Diritto by Alessandro Klun, in conversation with Enrico Vignoli. Written in accessible language, the book addresses the main legal issues affecting the restaurant industry: from starting a business to responsibilities toward customers, from food safety to digital communication, and on to the new challenges posed by artificial intelligence.

This event is designed for industry professionals, but also for anyone who wants to understand how the quality of dining today is also shaped by an understanding of the rules. At a time when the restaurant business demands an ever-broader range of skills, the law has become an integral part of the culture of hospitality.

At the end of the evening, the Gelati Artusiani ice cream cart will be on hand.

Through these events, Casa Artusi reaffirms its mission: to showcase Italy’s gastronomic heritage in all its many dimensions. This encompasses not only culinary tradition, but also language, scientific research, memory, literature, and professional culture.

A living heritage that continues to evolve and finds in knowledge one of the most effective tools for preserving, interpreting, and passing it on.

All events take place in the courtyard of Casa Artusi and are free to the public. During the Festa Artusiana, Casa Artusi is open every evening from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, featuring the museum tour, the “30 Tavole” photography exhibition, and the “Passaggi – Caviro and the New Generations of Wine” exhibition.