Taste, Memory, and Territory: The Food Culture Geoportal at the Rocca di Cerere Geopark

Enna – Al Kenisa Literary Café | July 17, 2025

On Thursday, July 17, at Al Kenisa Literary Café in Enna, the Food Culture Geoportal (GeCA) was officially presented—an important national initiative organized by Si.M.Geo – Ecomuseum System of the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark as part of Geopark Week.
The event was dedicated to the promotion of Italy’s agro-food heritage and was held in collaboration with the Central Institute for Intangible Heritage (ICPI/MIC) and the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark.

Titled “Taste, Memory, Territory – The Food Culture Geoportal at the Rocca di Cerere Geopark”, the event offered a space for interdisciplinary dialogue exploring the connection between geodiversity, food traditions, and local cultural identity.

A Portal to Tell the Story of Food Culture
Moderated by Giovanni Venegoni from BIA – Intangible and Archival Heritage, the event opened with institutional greetings from Michele Sabatino (President of the Rocca di Cerere UNESCO Global Geopark), Leandro Ventura(Director of ICPI/MIC), and Marcello Troìa (Director of the Geopark), who presented the territorial development strategy promoted within the GAL Rocca di Cerere Geopark.

From Basilicata to Enna: Case Studies and Best Practices
Angelo Boscarino, CEO of BIA, presented the origins and development of the Geoportal, with a focus on the pilot project in Basilicata.
Stefano Rizzo (CNA Enna and Kore Siciliae) highlighted the agro-food specificities of the region, emphasizing the importance of short supply chains and local production.

Following that, Rosanna Maniscalco and Rosolino Cirrincione from the University of Catania explored the connections between geological history and food heritage within UNESCO Global Geoparks, offering both scientific and cultural perspectives for constructing place-based food narratives.

From Territory to Portal: Local Testimonies
A special focus was placed on the process of collecting and digitizing local testimonies, with a spotlight on the ancient grains of the Enna area, already featured in the Geoportal, and other materials currently being developed to further enrich the GeCA database.

The evening concluded with an aperitif featuring local products offered by the Kore Siciliae Consortium, celebrating in a convivial way the strong link between territory, knowledge, and taste.