Baku to host Italian Piazza Festival

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Baku will host the Italian Piazza Festival of Gastronomic Entertainment on June 23-26, Azernews reports, citing Trend Life.

A press conference was held at Landmark Hotel Baku ahead of the festival. Speaking at the press conference, the members of the organizing committee Anastasia Filyuta and Paola Casagrande noted that the project aims to promote Italian culture and develop business relations between Azerbaijan and Italy.

Tastings of wines and delicacies from Italian regions, master classes, and other gastronomic events will be held as part of the festival.

The festival will contribute to mutual cultural exchange and promotion of both Italian and Azerbaijani brands. The project is expected to cover many manufacturers and companies.

The representative of the University of Ca' Foscari in Venice Vladi Finotto underlined that food is part of the culture.

"Sitting down at the table, we share our history, culture, and traditions. While traveling, we get acquainted with the country through cuisine and national dishes. Various master classes will be held during the festival. I think Italian companies are interested in the Azerbaijani market," said Vladi Finotto.

Director of the Italian Trade Agency Andrea Maccanico said that Italian companies will be represented at the festival, and project visitors will have the opportunity to get to know their products and services.

Nigar Kazimova, marketing manager of the CASA Culinary Arts Center in Azerbaijan, spoke about the activities of the center, noting that CASA is glad to be a partner of such a significant and large project.

The brand ambassadors of the festival - famous art decorator Madina Guliyeva, lifestyle blogger Elchin Amirov, and food blogger Emilia Aliyeva shared their knowledge about the culture and traditions of Italy.

"A year ago I had a chance to go to Italy, and I traveled alone by car from Milan to Rome. I stopped in every town, tried their cuisine, listened to Italian music, and learned more and more about the culture, traditions, and architecture of Italy. Within the framework of the festival, I will try to create in Azerbaijan what I saw and felt in Italy," said Madina Guliyeva.

Food blogger Emilia Aliyeva added that the festival will allow you to make an exciting gastronomic journey through Italy without leaving Baku.

Lifestyle blogger Elchin Amirov drew parallels between Azerbaijani and Italian citizens, paying attention to the similarity in temperament.

Further, representatives of the companies participating in the festival shared their vision of the project and talked about the directions in which their companies work.

It should be noted that famous chefs Balzi Rossi, Emanuele Mongillo, Pizzaiolo Alexander Slutu, and famous Italian bartenders Diego Ferrari and Marco Donghi will be the star guests of the festival.

The brand ambassadors of the festival are the well-known art decorator Madina Guliyeva, the representative of Italian cuisine in Azerbaijan Elio Bevilaqua, expert, Italian oenologist (study of wine and winemaking) Marco Catalano, lifestyle blogger Elchin Amirov, and food blogger Emilia Aliyeva.

The best Italian chefs in Azerbaijan - Renato Rizzi from Four Seasons, Roberto Basei from La Dolce Vita, Roberto Zizi from Fairmont, Massimo Fuse from Scalini, and Dominico Nicolino from JW Marriott - will delight guests with their signature dishes.

The main venue of the festival is the Landmark, the most prestigious business center in Baku. During the festival, the Italian "Gastronomic Village" will operate here.

The opening of the event will take place on the Galatea terrace in Icharishahar (the Old City) and the final dinner will take place on the romantic terrace of the Zafferano restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel.

The CASA Culinary Arts Center in Azerbaijan will host high-level master classes and the online Italian Piazza Festival.

Many companies from Italy and Azerbaijan will take part in the festival and intend to present their products or services to BTB and BTC ( scheme of commercial relations).

The festival is organized under the auspices of the Italian Embassy in Azerbaijan and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), Ca'Foscari University of Venice, The Landmark, Four Seasons Hotel, Azerbaijan Culinary Art Center CASA, Galatea, Pasha Travel, etc.