Sunday 1 October 2023, International Coffee Day.
A ritual that aims to become a UNESCO world heritage object and that unites Italy by Telethon foundation
29 September 2023 – The Consortium for the Protection of Traditional Italian Espresso Coffee organises an online event to celebrate the ritual, culture and social aspects of Italian espresso coffee, representative elements of the cultural identity of our country, on Sunday 1 October at 11 a.m., on the occasion of International Coffee Day (click here to participate).
The programme of the event (which you can view here) includes an overview of the various aspects that characterise this 100% Italian ritual: the tradition that surrounds it, its ability to connect people through sharing, and its sustainability. The event aims to raise awareness of and develop the project of candidacy for intangible heritage of humanity of the Ritual of Espresso, the UNESCO principles and the Charter of Values that the communities representing the Ritual of Espresso throughout Italy have committed themselves to spreading and promoting. The Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida, who has ownership of this application dossier, will speak.
Events will also be held throughout Italy – again on 1 October and by the Communities representing the Ritual of Espresso – to support the UNESCO candidacy and promote the collection of signatures in support of it. And that’s not all: on the same day, the Consortium for the Protection of Traditional Italian Espresso Coffee promotes the initiative called “Un caffè per…” (‘A coffee for…’), dedicated to the Telethon Foundation (here for the donation and to support the candidacy), an organisation for biomedical research and the treatment of rare generic diseases: a supportive habit of the Neapolitan tradition transferred by the Consortium to a broader plan through a charity campaign carried out in collaboration with all the representative communities of the Ritual of Espresso.
Here are the events that will take place in the main Italian cities
The representative communities of the Ritual of Espresso of Turin, Milan, Venice, Trieste, Bologna, Rome, Naples, Lecce, Pescara, Palermo, and Modica, which support the UNESCO intangible heritage candidacy dossier, will be the scene of the following initiatives:
Trieste
10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m., CC Montedoro Conference room and Antico Caffè San Marco. Conferences and time dedicated to the discussion with the public and to the further discussion of the value and culture of Italian espresso coffee, organised by the members and partners of the Trieste Coffee Association. The events will start on Saturday 30th and end on the first of October.
Bologna
Through Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, the importance of conviviality and sociability surrounding the Italian espresso will be explained with the request to sign the Charter of Values to support the application.
Rome
11.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m., BIBO bar (Piazza dei Santi Apostoli). Coffee heritage of the future: an event on the occasion of International Coffee Day to celebrate the rich tradition and culture linked to this drink, nominating it as a UNESCO Intangible Heritage Object. In this unique meeting, the charity initiative “A coffee for ..” will be promoted in collaboration with the research of the Telethon Foundation and a dessert based on coffee prepared exclusively for the day and a special review of the espresso will be served.
Naples
10.30 a.m. – 6.30 p.m., Gran Caffè Gambrinus (Piazza Trieste and Trento no. 42). “Bartender for a day”: anyone who loves coffee can go to the Gambrinus and experience the thrill of making an espresso with the lever machine.
Lecce
Permanent programme for the dissemination of the culture of the Ritual of Espresso through collaboration with Hotel Institutes. This initiative involves a constant programming of engaging activities for the students of these institutions, aiming to share best practices and fundamental knowledge related to the art of espresso.
Palermo
10.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m., Moltivolti (Via Giuseppe Mario Puglia no. 21). The “Moltivolti” (‘Many faces’) of coffee and its values, educational event: a day dedicated to the “many faces” of coffee, its ritual aspects and the values it represents in Italy and in the world. The emblematic community of Palermo joins the multi-ethnic community of Moltivolti, a social enterprise that promotes food as a tool for dialogue between different people and cultures in the Ballarò district.
In other cities, also thanks to FIPE, the Association of Historical Bars of Italy, some Museums dedicated to the history of coffee, as well as individual initiatives, events will be held that are aimed at charitable collection in favour of the Telethon Foundation and signatures in support of the candidacy.
