Second annual ‘Master of the Art of Italian Cuisine’ awards ceremony held at Palazzo Chigi in the presence of President Meloni and Minister Lollobrigida

The ‘Master of the Art of Italian Cuisine’ awards ceremony was held at Palazzo Chigi this morning. For the second consecutive year, the awards were presented by the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida.

The award was established by Law no. 59 of 19 April 2024 to promote and celebrate masters of Italian food and wine and the professionals who preserve, pass on and innovate Italy’s heritage of culinary know-how and traditions.

The winners chosen for the 2026 edition represent the entire agri-food supply chain. In the gastronomy and cuisine categories, the awards went to Francesco Panella and Enrico Cerea respectively, with Simone Padoan winning the prize for the art of pizza-making. The awards recognising the connection with the land and its fruits were presented to Piero Antinori for the wine sector and to Antonella Titone for the olive-growing sector. Margherita Angela Mastromauro and Pierluigi Roscioli were the first to receive awards in the new categories dedicated to the arts of pasta-making and bread-making, respectively. Rounding off the awards were the categories of patisserie, gelato and the art of cheese-making: Federica Russo received the patisserie award, Eugenio Morrone the gelato award and Nicola Bertinelli the award for cheese-making.

The ten Masters received a bronze medal, a pin and an insignia, made by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato [Italian State Printing Works and Mint].

There were more award winners compared with 2025, after the Ministerial Decree of 31 October 2025 introduced new categories: in addition to the sectors originally provided for by the legislation, the arts of pasta-making and bread-making are now included. The goal remains to promote professional excellence and Italy’s wealth of culinary traditions in their entirety.

“We are proud to have introduced a law establishing this award, which celebrates our heritage and the skill of those who, every day, make it so well-loved and appreciated the world over. The Masters of the Art of Italian Cuisine are key to Italy’s national prestige and their work makes us proud, as they promote our identity and culture around the globe. The Government will continue to work, as it has done so far, with record funding and a system-wide strategy to support the Italian agri-food sector and make it increasingly strong and dynamic,” stated President of the Council of Ministers Giorgia Meloni.

“Italian cuisine is number one in the world - and not only in terms of figures, as it universally represents a paradigm of well-being, spending time together and looking after one another. The Masters therefore have a mission: to ensure they pass on their art to future generations. With this award, the State recognises their dedication and the passion with which they have become an example for others,” added Minister Francesco Lollobrigida.

[Courtesy translation]

[The ceremony]]

Lingua
Inglese

Fonte: 
Il Presidente del Consiglio

‘Master of the Art of Italian Cuisine’ awards ceremony  [VIDEO]

‘Master of the Art of Italian Cuisine’ awards ceremony  [PHOTO]

Tipologia Contenuto: 
Notizie

Governo: 
Meloni

Posizione della fotografia nell'articolo: 
Centrata

Italiano ...