Italy

Perugia Chocolate Festival

Chocolate is one of the best remedies for fatigue and stress. The Aztecs called it "food of the gods." The Euro Chocolate Festival in Perugia is one of the most delicious in the world, it will not leave anyone indifferent.

At the Euro Chocolate Festival in Perugia, photo by loggedelperugino

Every year in October, the ancient city of Perugia becomes the "sweet capital" of Italy. Here is the festival "Eurochocolate" (Eurochocolate a Perugia) - the largest chocolate festival in Europe. The place for the festival was not chosen by chance: Perugia is the birthplace of the famous Italian brand of sweets Perugina, created in the last century by Louise Spagnoli.

Louise Spagnoli - the founder of the brand

Candy "Kiss", photo Luciana Bono

The founder of the brand was born in Perugia, in 1877. She married at age 21, here in her hometown. In 1907, Louise, along with her husband Annibale, decided to open a family confectionery enterprise. Chocolate balls with katsotti nuts became a popular type of sweets from Perugina, which was later renamed Bacio - “kiss”. The name has been preserved, “Bacio Perugina” sweets with happy wishes inside are now known to the whole world.

Louise Spagnoli entered the history of Italy and as the creator of popular perfumes, and as the founder of a fashion brand of clothes, and as a generous philanthropist, and as a lover of romantic adventures. But that's another story. We talk about the festival.

How the festival came about

"Sweet October" Italy - annual chocolate festival in Perugia, photo dreamdiscoveritalia

The first Eurochocolate a Perugia festival took place in 1993. Since then, it has become a regular event. His idea belongs to Eugenio Gudaruchchi - the CEO of Perugina. Gudaruchchi borrowed the concept of the holiday from the famous Munich beer Oktoberfest. Currently, more than one hundred and fifty large and small, Italian and world enterprises annually participate in Perugia festivals.

Perugia - the "sweet capital" of the world

Chocolate City, photo S. Potente Agriturismo

For a week, the holiday transforms Perugia. The streets are filled with crowds of people and aromas of sweets. Experts, quality specialists, chocolate lovers and just tourists gather in the city. There are performances all around, clowns perform, colored balloons fly.

Chocolate reigns everywhere these days: statues are sculpted from it and palaces are erected, pyramids are built and fortresses built, souvenirs are made and murals are made. What varieties are not here! Chocolate with nuts, lemon, fruits and cognac; with sweet pepper and allspice. Bars and sweets, bars and balls, chocolate drinks are sold in chocolateries. Even the most ordinary foods and dishes are cooked with chocolate: pizza, spaghetti, sausages with truffles, cheeses. Edible souvenirs are sold: watches and candles, accessories, shoes, telephones.

Representatives of the perfumery and cosmetics industry also come to Perugia. A lot of chocolate-based cosmetic and hygiene products are produced by modern firms. At festive exhibitions you can see "chocolate" shower gels, soap, shampoos, fragrant bath foam, oils and masks, even perfumes.

Masterpieces are born at the festival, world records are set. Chocolatiers make sculptures and paintings made of chocolate mass. Amazing exhibits are exhibited on the main square of the city: miniature copies of world-famous monuments, architectural symbols of cities - all from the sweet "building material". The largest chocolate bar, two meters long and weighing almost six tons, was made here in Perugino. A giant confectionery product was awarded the Guinness Book of Records!

The renowned chocolatiers of the world give master classes, conduct tasting lessons - tell how to taste a treat in order to fully experience and reveal its taste. Professionals advise biting off small pieces, waiting for the chocolate to melt in order to feel its tenderness or bitterness, and enjoy the delicate aroma.

At festival exhibitions, you can follow the entire process of preparing the most popular product, to participate in it. Visitors are invited to become the authors of a personal brand, choose additives and design a "trademark" by signing a new type of sweets in their own name.

Photo for memory, photo dreamdiscoveritalia

On the main square of Perugia establish a mobile laboratory. There, experts examine the composition of chocolate and introduce the industry to innovations. Some new developments after the presentation at the festival are introduced into production. Despite the festive and gaming nature of the event, business meetings take place here, quite real business transactions are concluded, professional seminars are held.

The evening of each festival day ends with a stunning fireworks display.

How do I save on hotels?

Everything is very simple - look not only at the booking. I prefer the search engine RoomGuru. He is looking for discounts at the same time on Booking and on 70 other booking sites.

Watch the video: Chocolate Festival, Perugia - Italy Travel Guide (November 2024).

Popular Posts

Category Italy, Next Article

Basilica of Superga in Turin
Turin

Basilica of Superga in Turin

Ten kilometers from the city of Torino, at the very top of the hill of Superga (Il Colle di Superga), from which it was named, is the Basilica of Superga (La Basilica di Superga) - a place where history and legend converge. This is a basilica erected because of an oath, this is a church where representatives of the Savoy dynasty were buried, this is a place where a terrible tragedy happened decades ago, and it is a sight that tourists from all over the world constantly come to.
Read More
National Automobile Museum in Turin
Turin

National Automobile Museum in Turin

The National Automobile Museum (Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile) in Turin (Torino) is named after Giovanni Agnelli, Italian entrepreneur and former chief shareholder of Fiat Fiat and the Juventus team. Included in the ranking of the 50 best museums in the world. The collection consists of rare car models, has more than 200 original copies and 80 brands, starting from the first steam engines of 1769 and ending with the most modern cars of Formula 1.
Read More
Egyptian Museum in Turin
Turin

Egyptian Museum in Turin

One of the main attractions of Turin is the Egyptian Museum (Museo Egizio), which houses the largest in Europe and the world's second collection of exhibits dedicated to the history and culture of Egypt. While in Turin, try to find time to visit this museum, you will not regret it. In terms of wealth and value of the exhibition, it is second only to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Read More
Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin
Turin

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista, Duomo di Torino) is located in the center of Turin, close to other famous attractions - the Egyptian Museum, the Palazzo Madama and the Royal Palace. This is the main religious building in Turin and the only example of Renaissance architecture preserved in the city.
Read More