Fifty years of activity by the Unione Regionale Cuochi Toscani celebrated at the Salone dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio. The association, which boasts almost 1,300 professionals from every province, celebrated the milestone with an event dedicated to discussion, promoting Tuscan cuisine, and recognizing the role of chefs as ambassadors of the region, tradition, and gastronomic innovation, with the participation of distinguished guests of national and international renown.
The heart of the ceremony, opened by greetings from Rocco Pozzullo (president of the Italian Chefs Federation), coincided with the presentation of the 19th edition of the international “Caterina de’ Medici” award, which was given to representatives of different skills, visions, and professionalism in the fields of cuisine, politics, associations, journalism, and training.
Among the winners was the Minister for Disability Alessandra Locatelli for her institutional and human commitment to promoting inclusion in the restaurant sector, while five great interpreters of Italian gastronomic art were honored for their work in the world of cuisine: Pierluca Ardito of the Italian National Chefs Team, chefs Gennaro Esposito, Paolo Teverini, and Gaetano Trovato, and pastry chef Loretta Fanella. The roll of honor for the nineteenth edition of the award was enriched by the presence of Aldo Cursano (president of Confcommercio Toscana and national vice president of the Italian Federation of Public Businesses), Massimo Rossi (head of the Tuscan regional services of the Italian Sommelier Association), and Francesco Tapinassi (director of Toscana Promozione Turistica). Finally, completing this exceptional panel were Clara Svanera and WikiPedro for the fields of journalism and dissemination.
Particular praise was given to Councilor Nicola Paulesu’s presentation of the “Cucina Senza Lame” (Cooking Without Knives) project, created by the Associazione Cuochi Fiorentini (Florentine Chefs Association) together with the Municipality of Florence to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the restaurant industry, offering training courses and experiential workshops that allow them to approach cooking safely and enhance their individual skills.
The event in the Salone dei Cinquecento was further enriched by the signing of a twinning agreement between the Regional Union of Tuscan Chefs and the Regional Union of Lucanian Chefs of Basilicata, both established in 1975, which sought to establish a pact of friendship and collaboration in the spirit of sharing common values: preserving gastronomic traditions, promoting local excellence, training new generations of chefs, and spreading an inclusive and sustainable culinary culture.
Finally, a leap into the past was offered by the conference “Tuscan cuisine from the Renaissance to the present: how much did Caterina de’ Medici influence cuisine and history?”, moderated by Alberto Lupini (editor-in-chief of Italia a Tavola), which drew on the words of Luciano Artusi (Florentine scholar and researcher, great-grandson of Pellegrino Artusi, considered the inventor of Italian gastronomic culture), Lucia Montuschi (founder and director of Exclusive Connection Tours), and lady chef Alessia Uccellini.
“Celebrating fifty years of history means looking back on the past with pride, but above all looking to the future with responsibility,” commented Roberto Lodovichi, president of the Regional Union of Tuscan Chefs. “This anniversary, together with the awarding of the international ‘Caterina de’ Medici’ prize and the twinning with our colleagues in Basilicata, represents not only the celebration of a journey rich in achievements, but also the start of a new phase that strengthens our interregional network with the aim of continuing to promote identity, talent, professionalism, and synergies between territories, which remains, today more than ever, at the heart of our mission.” .
