Saturday will be an opportunity to take a plunge into Italy's food and wine and cultural history. 7 October, in fact, will be the Giornata dei Locali Storici (literally “Day of Historical Places”), an appointment that sees in the front row precisely the places that have made (and make) the history of Italian tradition. All over Italy there will be dedicated events, with guided tours and tastings in Italy's iconic establishments.
As Enrico Magenes, president of the Associazione dei Locali Storici, explains, 'it is a heritage that cannot be lost and must be talked about, especially while we are witnessing the flattening of our historic centres, with shops and commercial chains that can be found the same everywhere from New York to Beijing. In these types of establishments, on the other hand, all of which have at least a century of history, one can enjoy unique and unrepeatable experiences, in the context of a millenary civilisation such as the Italian one'.
And most of Italy's historic venues are ready to open their doors to the initiative, with events from North to South. In addition, it will be possible to collect a postcard commemorating the event at each participating venue. But how do you define a 'historic venue' in Italy? According to the guidelines of the association that groups them, in order to join, a venue must have been in operation for at least 70 years, conserve the original rooms and furnishings (or at least testify to the venue's origins) and possess memorabilia, mementos and historical documentation on illustrious events and frequentations. A curriculum vitae that only in Italy can such a large number of venues boast: In the 46 years of the association's existence, in fact, it has grown to around 200 members, whose average age is around... a good 175 years! In short, an incredible heritage of culture, testifying once again to the deep cultural roots of our country.
To find out which are the historical venues in Italy, simply search for them in the list on the official website of the Associazione Locali Storici d'Italia.
We at Audiogiro have put our 'paw' in these historical realities, already having some dedicated audios. Want to know which ones? Caffè Florian in Venice, the oldest café in history, opened in 1720; Caffè Pedrocchi in Padua, a true icon of the Risorgimento; and Distilleria Nardini in Bassano del Grappa, overlooking the iconic Ponte Vecchio.
Enjoy listening and... have a good party!
