The tourist card to discover what’s best in the city easily and cost effectively Home / Blog / Updated on 26 November 2024 From Bologna Welcome adorned trees and nativity scenes bring the territory to life once again While the city of Bologna has already begun hosting markets In Castelluccio di Porretta Terme, on the other hand, the Manservisi Castle will be welcoming the Christmas markets A perfect opportunity to soak up the Christmas atmosphere and do some festive shopping The inauguration has been scheduled for Saturday 7 December at 2pm but you can walk among the exhibitors' stalls every weekend in December Sunday 5 and Monday 6 January from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 2pm to 6pm The Christmas village is open inside the Sinflora premises to fully embrace the Christmas atmosphere Many initiatives every week to look forward to the most magical time of the year The Open Day del gusto ‘’Christmas Flavours and Atmospheres‘’ is back in San Martino di Bentivoglio an initiative dedicated to local craft products.  the villa - home to the Museum of Rural Civilisation - will be opening its doors to visitors with an extensive programme of events A wonderful opportunity to discover the farming and cultural traditions of the Bolognese plains but also to taste and rediscover the products of the land and local gastronomy The Christmas Market with food stalls and entertainment is coming to Borgo Tossignano on 8 December in Piazza Don Bosco. Don't forget the afternoon snack with Santa Claus and ficattola (sweet or savoury fried dough) with mulled wine. On the same day, the traditional ‘Crib Village’ exhibition gets underway with over a hundred cribs animating the town and the neighbourhoods throughout Christmas The Christmas village is already open within the Corte dei Fiori you can soak up the cosy Christmas atmosphere and only on Sunday meet up with Santa in person.  Castiglione dei Pepoli is planning a host of events to celebrate Christmas together First up on 8 December with ‘Si accende il Natale a Castiglione’ (Christmas is lighting up in Castiglione) with tree switch-ons and Christmas markets Next comes Sunday 15 December with ‘Pepoli for Christmas’ with the town hosting the elves' house - with mulled wine and roasted chestnuts - and many stalls selling gift ideas and handicraft products.  On 22 December we focus on ‘Ultime creazioni per il Natale’ a Christmas market for last-minute shopping and musical entertainment for everyone.  Finally Santa Claus is coming to town’ to greet the little ones and wish everyone a Merry Christmas.  the Castle will also be hosting the famous dragon Fyrstan waiting for the little ones to send special greetings together the Gruppo Alpini di Dozza will be pleased to welcome you with roasted chestnuts and mulled wine an example of mountain architecture still bearing traces of the workmanship of the Maestri Comacini and the mountain stonemasons is once again home to the nativity scene created by sculptors Marchi and Bressan wooden statues will be arranged along the narrow streets of the village leading visitors to contemplate the Nativity set at the foot of the large centuries-old cypress tree in the village As per tradition, Imola celebrates Christmas with a rich calendar of events An opportunity to celebrate together in the streets of the city.  Here are just a few suggestions of events organised by the city: every weekend from 30 November to 22 December, the streets of Imola's historic centre will be the setting for Christmas markets, artisan stalls and food stands serving traditional delicacies. From 25 to 31 December, the extensive Zero Pare Christmas programme of concerts and street food is looking forward to making the festive period even more special Discover all the events in Imola at Christmas on the official site.  From 23 November to 8 December, the medieval village of Monteacuto delle Alpi will be hosting a Christmas Market every weekend from 10 a.m Likewise in the municipality of Lizzano in Belvedere, in the hamlet of Vidiciatico, at the foot of Mount Corno alle Scale, the first Christmas event is set for Saturday 7 December 2024 with the inauguration of Santa's Village in the town's oldest square: Ca' Gherardi Food stands will be laid on with typical mountain specialities and entertainment for adults and children with Santa's house and decorated fir trees the Befana (kindly old witch) is making her appearance at 3 p.m a special local tradition whereby the men of the village go from house to house asking for food and wine and wishing everyone a Happy New Year.  ‘Children's Christmas’ is coming to Calderino with decorationsm shows at the town's auditorium and a very special party with the Grinch.  a Christmas market will be livening up the village streets all day long many events are staged in anticipation of Christmas with the ‘Winter megamix’ organised by the Scaricalasino group a musical event with DJ set to usher in the winter season action continues with the Christmas markets at Cà di Costa the village will be enlivened by three Christmas concerts: the ‘Light Gospel Choir’ will be performing first the Suonatori della Valle will be playing for Saint Lucy's Eve in the town hall conference room don't miss the traditional Christmas concert with the Bignardi Band at the village church the main streets of the hamlet of Mordano - via Lughese and via Borgo General Vitali - will be offering a variety of Christmas markets providing food and drink in good company and the chance to do one's first Christmas shopping musical entertainment and shows for young and old alike will be scheduled Don't miss the 3 pm appointment with ‘the enchanted world Show Christmas Edition’ and the sleigh parade of Santa Claus at 4.45 pm The first Christmas celebration in Pianoro is scheduled for Sunday a Christmas Village will be set up with festive markets The little ones will also be able to enjoy a puppet show by ‘La Garisenda’ theatre at 2 p.m the neighbourhood of Rastignano will turn into a veritable Christmas town with markets some christmas markets will be set up in Pianoro from 10 a.m to 6 p.m with stalls for Christmas shopping food stands and restaurants offering exclusive winter menus On Sunday 5 January and Sunday 26 January, in San Matteo della Decima, the countryside is lit up with ‘I Roghi delle Befane’ (the Epiphanies' Nights) the Decima countryside is getting alight with the traditional straw puppets about ten metres high and depicting ‘La Vècia’ (The Old Woman) Linked to the most authentic peasant tradition the event is made possible by groups of private individuals who provide the land and in some cases even a small refreshment of mulled wine On Sunday 15 December, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Christmas on the Road is coming to Sasso Marconi with a packed programme of food Christmas stalls and many artistic and cultural activities the Festival of Santa Lucia will be animating the streets of the town with food stands an entire children's area will be set up for Santa to welcome and greet the little ones These are just some of the many events planned for this Christmas. To find out more, visit the dedicated section on the Festivals and Fairs website. is to sell “ice cream gloves” to stop people’s hands getting sticky This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Scoop!” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents Paramount’s dilemma exemplifies a broader problem The coffee chain’s new boss is struggling to fix its problems Thousands of students from around the world flock to courses near Bologna the leading global manufacturer of gelato-making machines Italy has secured its place in the global diet with the likes of espresso The latest addition to the culinary lexicon is .. a short drive from the Italian city of Bologna people from all over the world are lining up for courses in gelato-making This is the headquarters of Carpigiani, the world's biggest gelato machine. Next door are the Carpigiani Gelato University and Museum of Gelato Culture and Technology A guide explains that gelato has its roots in ancient Mesopotamia where mountain snow was mixed with fruit and beer for refreshment the Arabic word from which sherbet derives Creamy gelato can be dated to 16th century Florence where it was invented by an alchemist in the court of the powerful Medici family Catherine de Medici introduced the delicacy in France after she married into the French royal family The museum wall is covered with quotes on the joys of gelato — the French philosopher Voltaire said it's so sublime Gelato-making machines through the centuries are on display at the Carpigiani Gelato museum vice president of the Carpigiani Foundation "Only rich people or aristocrats had ice cellars in their houses It wasn't until the arrival of electricity in the 19th century that frozen desserts became available to all And modern technology is making artisanal gelato-making fully democratic The walls of the Gelato University classrooms are lined with shiny stainless steel gelato-making machines Students wearing white smocks listen attentively to instructor Christian Bonfiglioli give the morning assignment: You can make 6 kilograms total for each recipe," he tells the students to prepare also the variegato" — a gelato of one flavor striped with another — "so we're going to mix together white chocolate mixing the basic gelato ingredients — milk And then the machines start to hum as they blend and cool the mixtures The most important difference is fat content: zero in sorbet 8 percent in a tiramisu or chocolate gelato compared with 20 to 30 percent fat in industrial ice cream Gelato has a higher density than ice cream and serving gelato at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream enhances its taste as it melts in your mouth Students prepare gelato during a course at the Gelato University of Carpigiani in Bologna is using the best ingredients and making small batches Instructor Alice Vignoli travels all over the world giving courses and spreading the gelato gospel and you have the possibility to put your soul in your gelato." nearly 7,000 students — more foreigners than Italians — have taken courses ranging from a week to become a gelato maker to four weeks to earn the title of gelato master "you spend in raw materials between 2 and 3 euros every kilogram And you sell it in Italy minimum at 15-20 euros So you have got minimum 75 percent of profit margin." He lost his job as a manager at an Italian TV station "I'm taking the two-day full immersion course," he says Raynold Chan has come to improve his skills for his father's gelato shops in Hong Kong and mainland China "He sent me over to learn more about gelato," Chan says I can introduce the real gelato to the Chinese area." Other students are at a midlife crossroads we would like to do something different in the future — career change," he says "and we would like to change our regular life to be the owners and have the direction of our lives." Nearly 7,000 students have taken courses at the Gelato University since it was founded in 2003 plan to open a gelato shop in North Carolina because they're tired of being constantly on the road working for the Department of Homeland Security "American ice cream is very industrialized This is more of an art than just food," says Bancke "The experience we've had eating gelato here Not many people get the chance to just hop on a plane and come over to Italy and try some gelato And for the people who have visited Italy — they'll be able to remember that experience by coming and eating our gelato." Alumni have opened shops all over the world And Carpigiani is organizing a World Gelato Tour competition — reaching the U.S The winner in each world region will compete at the grand finale in September 2014 for the title of World's Best Artisan Gelato we taste some of the students' class work: white coffee and bacio (kiss) which combines chocolate and hazelnut — creamy and simply scrumptious Become an NPR sponsor From learning the difference between ice cream and gelato in the university classroom (more milk and less cream) to getting first-hand experience making fluffy mounds of Nutella and stracciatella (plain milk flavor with chocolate shavings) gelato students leave the university with a "Master Gelatiere" certificate Many alums even open their own gelato shops.  Carpigiani Gelato University was founded in 2003 as an "educational arm" of Carpigiani: an Italian company best-known for making gelato machines for restaurants and gelaterias the university launched its first four-week training program called "Become a Gelatiere," which includes three weeks of training with a one-week internship at a gelato shop in Italy.  INSIDER had the chance to speak with Samuel Kelerstein, who attended the Gelato University in 2014 and opened his own gelato shop called Glyk Gelato in Parkland Director of the Carpigiani Gelato University "The entire course allows a person to understand and to dive in to what the Italian way of making gelato is," Kelerstein told INSIDER "They helped me a lot in terms of understanding the process and what the difference is between gelato and regular ice cream." Kelerstein said that he began his intensive gelato-making course in the summer of 2014 He comes from a family of ice cream-makers in Mexico, and had always wanted to open his own shop in South Florida Cartigiani was the next step toward achieving that goal "It's set up like a summer study-abroad program," Kelerstein said. "They get you into a nice hotel with accommodations I was in the same room as an 18-year-old kid who had just graduated from high school and a 65-year-old entrepreneur from Australia." "Italian gelato is an artisanal product," Kelerstein said Gelato is the way ice cream should be made and enjoyed." "The classroom is an actual classroom next to a lab; it's like going to class at a regular university," Kelerstein said. "It's state of the art they give you your uniform and your utensils You sit down in class and learn the basics of gelato, and then you go straight into making it."  "You can make any flavor you want: pistachio there’s a famous flavor called stractiella," Kelerstein said your gelati with inclusions (pieces like cookies and cream) and variegated where you put a sauce on top of the gelato."  "In the basic course we teach what gelato is and how it differs from industrial ice cream," Ito said. "How to find and use the best raw materials Soft gelato and stick gelato What a correct production method and cycle consists of Mastering the art of gelato is not just about learning how to make it You also have to run a successful gelateria Around 18 months after he graduated from Gelato University Kelerstein was just about ready to open his shop "Just as I was ready to open, I contacted Carpigiani," Kelerstein said. "You can hire the instructors at the university to come abroad I worked with my former professor for two weeks before I opened shop." Kelerstein and his father had the grand opening for Glyk Gelato in Parkland he debuted his favorite flavor — which he had learned studying abroad in Italy and would soon become his signature creation — sweet corn ice cream Kelerstein said that he was inspired by Mexican sweet corn cakes when he created the unusual gelato variety As of right now, Glyk Gelato has a perfect five-star score on Yelp with reviews calling it "the best gelato I've had outside of Europe," and lamenting the fact that the sweet corn flavor always sells out well before closing.  Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.  As she scoops out some mouth-watering ice cream during training at Italy's "Gelato University" Holy Randrianasolo dreams of setting up the first gelato parlor in her native Madagascar The 44-year-old is one of thousands of students from around the world flocking to courses near Bologna in central Italy at the headquarters of Carpigiani the leading global manufacturer of ice cream making machines "My project is to open an Italian ice cream parlor in Antananarivo She spoke in an unusual type of university laboratory surrounded by multi-colored vats filled with a bewildering array of gelato flavors The lab produces traditional tastes like raspberry but there are also more innovative flavors like fennel and mortadella Sweet-toothed and business-minded students attend technical lectures on traditional gelato methods given in English by Italian veteran ice cream makers as well as practical courses using gleaming chrome machines There are even more advanced lessons in management and marketing Students pay around 800 euros ($1,138) a week for the courses and are housed in a hotel in the small town of Anzola dell'Emilia in a region that has given the world Lamborghini cars a 31-year-old of Japanese origin who has lived in Italy for the past seven years said the stereotype that ice cream parlors are always run by old-school Italian immigrants is changing fast "This is the first year in which the participation of Italians is less than 50 percent We've added courses in English and French and there's been a real boom in people signing up," said the multi-lingual executive The school will have 12,000 students this year -- up from 9,000 last year a "professor" at the ice cream university wearing a smock and glasses said the face of gelato is increasingly non-Italian "Before it was always the Italian who brought ice cream abroad Now ice cream is being exported by foreigners who come here and learn and then bring the skills back to their own country," Ferrari said after delivering a lecture "We teach people the art of Italian artisanal ice cream These traditions go back hundreds of years and have spread around the world," he said Gelato as we know it today is believed to have been created for the courts of Italian Renaissance princes and first exported abroad by an Italian pioneer who opened a cafe in Paris in the 17th century Spain and the United States and employs around 400 people worldwide The company is planning to set up a gelato museum next year One particularly keen student at the "Gelato University" is 25-year-old Kevin Koh who works for his father's fruit import company in Singapore "I've been a fan of gelato since when I was young," he said "There are quite a few gelato and ice cream parlors in Singapore but I haven't really come across one that is of the same standard as in Italy So hopefully I can come up with something good to bring back home," he said said she was attending the course with her husband from Dubai for an original kind of holiday in Italy and to learn how to make some real Italian ice cream to impress her dinner party guests "I love gelato a lot and my husband has a passion for it I think I'm going to do it more in the future," she said They only have vanilla and pistachio," she added a half-Jewish half-Arab Israeli said he was keen to open an ice cream parlor in the port of Jaffa I've been eating it since I was young," he said Among the students from Western Europe and the United States who are on the course many see the gelato business as a way of changing pace said he really wants to move to Key West in Florida next year with his wife and open a gelateria "I decided to change my life around," he said "I started this course in January and I completely fell in love with making ice cream." He said he would adapt to American tastes and serve up pancakes and maple syrup as well "We've decided to call it 'Ambassadors of Gelato'" by /// February 7 Emilia-Romagna, known throughout the world as Italy’s Food Valley is a region that also tells its story through its flavours but real immersive itineraries that reveal the secrets of iconic products as well as lesser known but no less important and traditional products of the territory ideal for those who want to discover Emilia through the palate from which it differs in having a sweeter and more fragrant flavour that enhances the aromas of the forest) The museum tells visitors about the natural characteristics of the chestnut tree the environment in which it grows and its economic and cultural value The itinerary of the exhibition begins with the description and characteristics of the environment in which the chestnut tree grows and then moves on to the historical evolution of its encounter with man the chestnut tree is an imported tree whose spread in Emilia-Romagna is due to the work of Matilde of Tuscany in the Middle Ages and therefore its presence is mainly due to human activity A wonderful opportunity to visit the museum, to know the hospitality of the land and to taste this delicious fruit is the Sundays in October, when the Castel del Rio Chestnut Festival is held with the traditional market and stalls offering local specialities the Regional Enoteca houses the most complete permanent exhibition of Emilia-Romagna wines with about 800 labels of wines from more than 200 associated producers A good opportunity to visit the Enoteca Regionale dell’Emilia-Romagna is the Wine Festival, held every May in the centre of the village of Dozza, and the Biennale del Muro Dipinto when painters from all over the world meet for three days to create works of art on the walls of the village The Potato Museum, opened in 2008 in the Budrio area is a collection of machines and tools from the early 1900s to the 1970s Although it is a species that originated in America and spread throughout the world the potato has found an ideal climatic situation here in Italy and in Emilia Romagna Admired for more than a century as the devil’s fruit because of its underground growth the potato was studied by botanists at the University of Bologna and only in 1700 with the passage of Napoleon’s armies The economic importance of this American solanaceous plant in the Bologna area is also demonstrated by the presence of the Consorzio Patata di Bologna DOP which is made up of over seventy producers together with dedicated agricultural cooperatives and commercial companies The Carpigiani Gelato Museum is one of the few museums (perhaps the only one) dedicated to one of the most famous and loved products in the world: handmade ice cream The museum is housed in the former Carpigiani factory an historic Emilian company specialising in the production of ice-cream machines The exhibition traces the history of ice cream from antiquity to the present day and is divided into three levels: the evolution of ice cream over time and the places and ways in which ice cream is consumed There are anecdotes about the use of ice cream in ancient Mesopotamia Renaissance recipes and modern industrial machines A journey through three millennia of gluttony through the evolution of mankind and the history of tastes but above all stories and curiosities to be savoured with all the senses of this truly Italian delicacy The Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena has been deeply rooted and uniquely linked to a particular area of Emilia Romagna since the times of the Este family and today it is a constant confirmation of the Emilian people’s love for their territory and their traditions For those who wish to taste or try their hand at making borlenghi a borlenghi kitchen has been set up next to the exhibition room A visit to these museums offers a glimpse of a food and wine heritage spread throughout the territory reflecting and testifying to the extraordinary culinary wealth of Emilia-Romagna since these structures are sometimes run by private individuals or voluntary associations The Taste Museums section is based on the list of museums recognised by the Agriculture, hunting and fishing Department of the Emilia-Romagna region Explorer and Adventurer: loves sailing the oceans climbing the highest mountains and surfing on the waves of the web by /// October 3 by /// September 28 by /// September 6 an email (in Italian) with selected contents and upcoming events For information, contact us: inemiliaromagna@aptservizi.com