Renaissance Customs and Food Traditions

Gastronomic and Cultural Itineraries in Trentino and Emilia Romagna

A Food and Wine Experience in a Medieval Castle

Castel Pietra near Trento holds documents dating back to the 12^th century. Its architecture displays different styles, but its purpose was decidedly defense and control of the territory, as it is located in an important strategic position near a large bend of the Adige River and the Imperial Road at the narrowest point. The castle was also the scene of important battles between Napoleon’s army and the Austrians at end of the 18^th and early 19^th centuries. During WWI, the castle was bombed and damaged on several occasions. Castel Pietra has continuously belonged to the same family since 1738.

Bioteca A new term to taste the flavors of the past. Castel Pietra overlooks 23 hectares of countryside. Grapes, apples and horticultural products have always been grown on the farm. In 2011 the property began converting it production to organic, a process just completed. Also, the surrounding countryside is populated by various wild animals such as hares, badgers, hawks, foxes and deer. Many birds nest on apple trees.

From Farmhouse to Fruit Museum

The Fruit Capital of Italy Massa Lombarda, near Ravenna, received this appellation in 1927 as a result of the efforts of Adolfo Bonvicini (1854-1916), an early 20^th century entrepreneur and creator of the local fruit industry.

A Local Farmhouse was restructured to display the tools and everyday objects typical of rural culture while the stables were transformed into paths dedicated to the culture of life, wheat and hemp. 

The Museum also presents documents relating to the birth of the first workers cooperative, some of the farming tools, including a scaled sorting machine, and artistic labels painted by famous artists of the period.

A Civic Museum and Municipal Library

The town also boasts a Civic Museum with an Art Gallery and Public Library, named after Doctor Carlo Venturini (1809 – 1886), a native of Massa Lombarda, who practiced medicine throughout Central Italy and was a member of several prestigious international associations.

The Art Gallery includes works from Doctor Venturini’s eclectic collection, including Greek, Etruscan and Roman ceramic vases and bronze objects, rare Punic stelae, the Renaissance era coins of Francesco D'Este (1516-1578), as well as the Doctor’s everyday objects and personal effects.  Also, works of a religious nature by Gian Battista Bassi, Angelo Torchi, a Garofalo, a Bastianino and a Rembrandt.

The Civic Museum received the "Quality Museum" recognition by the Emilia Romagna Region.

The Arts and Gastronomy in Ferrara

Celebrating the Cultural and Culinary Traditions of Emilia Romagna

Weekly Courses, available year round, designed to acquaint you and expand your knowledge of the arts, culture and cuisine of Ferrara and the Emilia Romagna region of Italy:

Italian Cooking Classes: from the selection and purchase of the ingredients in local markets to the making, presentation and tasting of first and second courses. The afternoons are dedicated to visits to Ferrara’s museums and other cultural venues.

Bread-Making: coppia ferrarese – a hit at Milan’s Expo2015 - and other local specialties;

Creative Cooking with your favorite Italian dishes accompanied by unique aromas, herbs and flavors from the garden; The Wines of Emilia Romagna; Balsamic Vinegar: an introduction.

The Art of Fresco Making. Your program includes morning visits to Sala della Vigna, Palazzo Schifanoia, Marfisa and other venues to view examples of Ferrara area frescoes. In the afternoons, under the guidance of your art maestro, you will have a chance to put into practice your newly acquired knowledge by creating your very own frescos.

The Cooking Classes take place in Ferrara restaurants, the balsamic vinegar program in Modena and the Fresco art course at the Belriguardo Museum.
Escorted Itineraries to visit the local small museums in or near Ferrara that are representative of the region’s Renaissance Traditions and its modern, industrial achievements, such as the Lamborghini Museum.

Children Workshops are Available at Belriguardo Castle

Connect with Historia and Tema

for Renaissance Traditions and Food Experience in Trentino and Emilia Romagna

Local Knowledge – Global Reach

tema@arezza.net  skype arezza1

The Museums Project

Preserving and Divulging Cultural Heritage in Your Community

The Museums Project is a collaboration between Tema and Historia snc that brings together talents and expertise from the United States and Italy to develop, manage and promote Cultural Heritage in European and North American communities to:

give meaning and purpose to the objects on display in museums and art galleries

disclose the historical and archaeological heritage of a community

leverage conservation and the rediscovery of cultural heritage

through the arts, history, archeology, literature and architecture

rediscover cultures associated with agricultural land, and

preserve biodiversity.

Learning by Doing a smart way of learning, through which one experiences new skills, sociality and teamwork. Our areas of expertise:

Develop and manage educational activities for children, schools and families;

3D Modeling and reconstruction courses;

Scientific reconstructions that leverage data and comparison studies;

Rendering, video and virtual tours;

Cultural Heritage communications and fundraising;

Web, portal and app development with augmented reality content;

Development of tourism itineraries and tours;

Organization of exhibits, conferences and seminars;

Drafting and editing of cultural heritage guide books.

A Community Museum is a virtual or real, indoor or outdoor authentic experience representative of and rooted in the local history and traditions of a territory.

It works best with informal, friendly interactions between guest and host 

Participants are new entrepreneurs, existing small businesses, nonprofits and local government all working together in a laboratory designed to acquire and constantly update knowledge and learning skills.

The result a sustainable and full cultural immersion that is both product and market oriented and generates new wealth for your community.

Some of Our Museums

The Museum Parish of Massa Fiscaglia near Ferrara exhibits objects and vestments belonging to numerous ancient brotherhoods, gold devotional offerings to Our Lady of Corba, the processional banner dedicated to the Virgin Mary, valuable paintings, sacred vessels and liturgical objects. Also, the crown and scepter of the Madonna della Corba, a 15^th century terracotta statue, and 17^th to 19^th century paintings, including: the Annunciation attributed to Jacopo Bassano, St. Francis receiving the stigmata by Carlo Bononi and a Circumcision of Christ Child attributed to Scarsellino.

Castel Pietra near Trento holds documents dating back to the 12^th century. Its architecture displays different styles, but its purpose was decidedly defense and control of the territory, as it is located in an important strategic position near a large bend of the Adige River and the Imperial Road at the narrowest point near Vallagarina where on August 10^th 1487 Venetian troops under General Sanseverino, were severely defeated. The castle was also the scene of important battles between Napoleon’s army and the Austrians at end of the 18^th and early 19^th centuries. During WWI, the castle was bombed and damaged on several occasions. Castel Pietra has continuously belonged to the same family since 1738.

The Ravello Cathedral Museum houses a precious heritage, ancient and medieval-modern, of considerable art-historical and archaeological interest, including urns, sarcophagi, sculptures of exquisite workmanship, ornate stone and liturgical furnishings made of noble metals. Among the most interesting works is the Falconer, a passion of the ruler Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, exhibited at New York’s Metropolitan Museum and Mannheim’s Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen.

Domus Romana an archeological in the center of Lucca and home of “House of the Child on a Dolphin”. The archaeological excavations have brought to light many interesting objects relating to daily life and worship in Roman Lucca such as: the terracotta frieze, illustrated with a mythological scene that gives its name to the Museum itself, a Sesterzio coin from 14 AD featuring the Emperor Tiberius and a bronze clasp of the Augustan period. The museum’s charming rooms also feature the evolution of Lucca from the Roman period to the Renaissance, through the Lombard period and the Middle Ages.

The Fruit Museum in Massa Lombarda near Ravenna is a restored old country house transformed into a museum. The ground floor presents tools and everyday objects typical of rural culture and the stables are dedicated to the culture of life, wheat and hemp. The first floor is dedicated to Massa Lombarda the "capital" of Italian fruit (1927), the story of fruit industry entrepreneur Adolfo Bonvicini (1854-1916), a display of documents relating to the birth of the first workers cooperatives, tools, a sorting machine and artistic labels, painted by famous 20^th century artists.

The Faggiano Museum an archeological museum located in a historic building in the center of Lecce in Salento and recently featured in the New York Times. During some restoration work on the building interesting relics from different periods were discovered, including: floors from the Messapian age (5^th century BC), a cistern bell 15^th century, a medieval silos, walls and wells (at the bottom of one you can see the Idume river) tanks of various periods, corpses and tombs, one of these carved into the rock, and pottery.

Connect with Historia and Tema

for a Cultural Heritage Experience in Your Community

Local Knowledge – Global Reach

tema@arezza.net |skype arezza1