MIDA 2024 – SPOTLIGHT ON RESTORATION AND ON FUTURE CRAFTSMANSHIP

Exhibitions

Florence, 28th April 2024. MIDA 2024 is open until 1st May. The uncertain weather did not stop thousands of visitors from coming to the Fortezza da Basso to visit endless proposals and attractions, and attend activities and side events organised for the 88th edition of the International Crafts Fair.

 

A convention taking place at Teatrino Lorenese at 9:30 will discuss FUTURE CRAFTSMANSHIP. Promoted and organised by Artex within a project named Horizon Europe Tracks4Crafts – co-financed by the European Union – it will illustrate future skills in the field of artistic craftsmanship. Speeches will be given by local authorities, experts, and internationally renowned professionals in the field of Made in Italy. The convention will be opened by Elisa Guidi, Co-ordinator at Artex, after a welcome greeting from Lorenzo Becattini, President of Firenze Fiera.

Within the project FIRENZE CITTÀ DEL RESTAURO (FLORENCE AS THE CITY OF RESTORATION), a conference named ‘Towards a Restoration District for the Territory. New Perspectives for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage. Achievements, Programmes, Synergies’ will start at 10:00 inside Sala della Scherma. Public and private institutions will meet to discuss and illustrate the most relevant interventions made, along with the programming of investments for the conservation of the cultural heritage of the territory. The main objective is to promote a co-operation between all the stakeholders in this sector in order to encourage their development and qualification, also by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to promote the Restoration District of this territory.

Tomorrow, 2 food challenges dedicated to Tuscan taste will take place at the Fair, on the attic floor of the Spadolini Pavilion, inside the cooking show space. Starting at 15:00, they will be organized by CNA Firenze Metropolitana, Food Challenge and Venerabile Compagnia dei Quochi.

Everything will start on Monday, 29th April with a challenge for the best jam tart – a typical homemade Tuscan tart which – in the words of cuisine expert Pellegrino Artusi – “has a shortcrust pastry base, and fruit preserves or cream as filling” and which “gets tastier one or two days after cooking”.

On Tuesday, 30th April, the focus will be on another savoury Tuscan must – Fagioli all’Uccelletto con Salsiccia (Stewed Beans with Sausages). Always according to Artusi, the name of this recipe comes from the fact the flavourings used for this dish – particularly sage – are the same used to prepare Uccelletti allo Spiedo (Roasted Small Birds), another recipe from the Tuscan tradition.

A technical jury will decide the winner, tasting the specialties presented by challengers, and giving each one a score based on various characteristics, thanks to which a winner will be determined. This jury will be complemented by a popular jury which, in turn, will decide their “own” winner. The public will be able to taste the dishes competing at the end of the event.

Each challenge will be preceded by a cooking show by chef Angelo Mazzi.

The “Food Challenge” project was created with the purpose of preserving and honouring the recipes that have characterised the city for centuries, helping build a tradition made of dishes handed down from generation to generation.