Bologna The Fat
And finally why is Bologna called the “fat?” Of course because that is where they make tortellini, and tagliatelle, and ragù alla bolognese, and lots of other delicious stuff, together with the fact that in the city the commercial activities related to food proliferate, they often led the press to define Bologna as “the city of food”
However, the international fame of Bolognese cuisine dates back to the Middle Ages: powerful noble families were present in the city, at whose courts the most celebrated cooks served, such as Bartolomeo Stefani. Bartolomeo was an Italian chef who worked for the most refined lords of Emilia and Lombardy, including the Gonzaga of Mantua.
In 1662, serving as a chef at the Duchy of Mantua, he published L’Arte di Ben Cucinare, a cooking volume dedicated to Ottavio Gonzaga, prince of Vescovato. He was the first to offer a section dedicated to ordinary food (“ordinary food”). The book describes one of the three banquets offered by Duke Charles for Queen Christina of Sweden on Christmas Eve of 1655, with the detail of the food and table settings for each guest, including a knife, fork, spoon, glass, a plate (in place of the most used bowls) and a napkin.
But the gastronomic tradition of Bologna is closely linked to the University: the mixture of numerous students and professors of different nationalities enriched the gastronomic culture, and necessitated a good organization of food supply.
That is why it made sense to create FICO EATALY WORLD – The largest agri-food park in the world.
If you have been in Eataly in NYC and disliked the crowded spaces, than FICO is for you. The same high quality products, the same presentation ideas, but in a much bigger space.
A curiosity: The tagliatelle, according to the legend, were created to equal the long blond hair of Lucrezia Borgia on the occasion of her wedding with the Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso I d’Este. Well, they had a fervid imagination!
This concludes the posts on Bologna:
Below images from FICO
Life in Italy 
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