From 27 to 29 September in Anzola Emilia (Bologna, the inauguration of the first museum dedicated to the history, culture, and technology of artisan gelato…
“The Carpigiani Foundation has made a great dream come true: a “home”
for the history of gelato that allows operators to understand their roots and
origins and the public to discover how such a fine food could be conceived,
cultivated, and developed” (Luciana Polliotti).
Rome, 9 July 2012 – The sweet countdown has begun: On 27 September 2012 the Carpigiani
Gelato Museum will open to the public. The museum is an innovative structure dedicated
to the study, documentation, and dissemination of the history, values, and culture of
artisan gelato, a fresh, high-quality food that represents Italian excellence and creativity
throughout the world. The opening will be followed by two more days of inaugural
activities including guided tours, workshops for children, gelato tasting, and many other
delicious surprises.
“The objective of the Carpigiani Gelato Museum is to become a point of reference for the
sector, to highlight the roots and history of this quality food and the gelato artisans that
produce it, bringing excellence, creativity, and flavor to customers worldwide,” explains
Romano Verardi, President of the Bruto and Poerio Carpigiani Foundation. “I want to
thank all the people who made the museum possible: the architects Matteo Caravatti and
Chiara Gugliotta, the curators Luciana Polliotti and Andrea Barbieri, the donors, the
supporters, and all those who volunteered their efforts. To obtain this result it was
fundamental to cooperate and innovate as a team.” Verardi further observed, “We are
pleased that this initiative came together just a short time after the official establishment of
the European Gelato Day (March 24). We join hands in proudly recognizing this
achievement with the ArtGlace Association, which worked hard to obtain this recognition
from the European government.”
The 1000 square meter museum space has been carved out of the current Carpigiani
headquarters. The complex is built around a central garden that connects the various areas
of the building including showrooms and the Carpigiani Gelato Museum itself.
According to the architects and curators, “From its origins to today, the museum features
an interactive tour that highlights three principal themes regarding gelato: the evolution
of gelato over time, the history of production technology, and the places and means of
consuming gelato. More than 20 original machines will find a new home in the Carpigiani
Gelato Museum, along with multimedia presentations, 10,000 historical images and
documents, precious accessories and tools of the trade from ages past, video interviews,
and workshops.”
“The Gelato Museum fulfills the dream of our founders, Bruto and Poerio Carpigiani, the
two Bolognese brothers who made it their job to spread gelato technology, culture, and
business throughout the world,” says Andrea Cocchi, General Manager of the Carpigiani
Group. “We are proud that the museum is opening only a few months after the institution
of the Foundation. The challenge is now to reaffirm the historical memory of our roots so
as to strengthen our future, leading us to progress, innovate, and expand our culture.”
The museum hosts a wide range of objects and machines that illustrate the history of
gelato. Further, conscious of the fundamental role attributed by UNESCO to intangibles
like knowledge and experience, the museum has gathered a number of audio-visual
testimonies from people who have played a key role in gelato history. The museum is a
place of tradition, memory, and identity, where gelato can be experienced as an important
part of European food culture. It highlights artisan gelato’s roots and sheds light on the
history of artisan gelato and the artisans that developed it and promoted it on a global
scale, to the point where today it is recognized by UNESCO as part of humanity’s world
heritage as a healthy source of nutrition. The museum underlines the technological
evolution of gelato machines over time, for the most part Made in Italy and focused on
innovation in food safety and producing a product that is particularly indicated for health
and good nutrition.
Opens 27 September 2012, Via Emilia 45, 40011 Anzola dell’Emilia, Bologna
Open Monday to Saturday, tickets free (for the moment) with guided tour, reservation required.
Workshops on Artisan Gelato for children, youth, and adults.
Information and reservations (starting 14 July): www.gelatomuseum.org – +39 051 6505306 –
info@fondazionecarpigiani.it
Bruto and Poerio Carpigiani Foundation
To mark the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Poerio Carpigiani – founder of the
company Carpigiani along with his brother Bruto to sell the famous Autogelatiera,
invented by Bruto, and today recognized as one of the 34 fundamental inventions of the
20th century – in 2011 the Bruto and Poerio Carpigiani Foundation was established. The
mission of the foundation is to globally promote the culture of gelato, an Italian food
that has a long and illustrious culinary tradition. Its objectives? Safeguard the know-how
involved in creating high-quality, artisan products that represent the excellence and
creativity of Italy. Study and advance the development and knowledge of food culture,
promoting foods having precious nutritional and sociological values. Support the
education of how to study and protect artisan food heritage, so as to preserve its
characteristics and uniqueness. Follow the progress of technological development that
increases gelato safety and hygiene. www.fondazionecarpigiani.it
Bruto Carpigiani (1903-1945), engineer and designer, the “legend,” the founder, the father
of an entire generation of Bologna packaging designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs. He
is the inventor of innovations and prototypes like the Z wheel. In his free time he
developed a new gelato machine that was more hygienic, fast, and efficient than the
models that were currently available. The machine hit the market only a few months
before Bruto died, in 1945. The following year, his brother Poerio founded Carpigiani, a
company which enjoyed aggressive growth starting in the 1960s thanks to the diffusion of
Italian gelato culture throughout the world. Today the company is the world’s top
producer of Italian artisan gelato machines.
Poerio Carpigiani (1911-1982) was the prime mover behind the worldwide diffusion of
artisan gelato culture and business. In 1969, after having acquired Cattabriga, the company
that since 1927 had owned the patent on automatic batch freezers, Poerio moved
Carpigiani headquarters from the center of Bologna to Anzola dell’Emilia. The company
experienced rapid, global growth in those years, establishing subsidiaries throughout
Europe both through acquisitions and opening new offices. Poerio’s vision of spreading
gelato culture globally continues today.