The First Italian Truffle Museum Opens in San Giovanni d'Asso
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| White Truffle of the Tuber Magnatum Pico variety | |
This museum is the twenty ninth in the province of Siena, in Tuscany and it was inaugurated on Saturday, November 13, 2004 in San Giovanni d'Asso, in the underground store room of the local, over one-thousand-year-old castle, in the presence of the president of Siena Province, Fabio Ceccherini, and San Giovanni d'Arco's mayor, Michele Boscagli.
The space, completed in under two years of development, is 250 square meters (about 2.691 square feet) wide and includes four sections.
"[This] is an achievement for a community that in the past had already shown strong ties to the identity of its land," said Ceccherini. "We hope that this will be the beginning of a reresponse to what's already happened in other parts of the province, that is, a moderate, sustainable rural development paired with a moderate growth of the population".
"It is an establishment that makes us proud, as of those who come before us and started it ", said mayor Boscagli. "We want this to be a beautiful place to visit from now on, but we want to live with it and understand its value day by day," he emphasized.
Professor Gianfranco Molteni, scientific coordinator of the Museum, highlighted its meaning.
"Here we are not aiming at preserving the truffle, which would be a utopian feat but rather to value it along with the natural and social habitat that surrounds it."
Thus, this is the logical foundation for the truffles journey of revelation, which digs deeply into the mythological image of the precious tuber. In addition the museum points to, and analyzes, the relationship between man and dog, which makes the truffle 'search' possible, and develops an understanding of the natural ecosystem that favors its growth.
The visit to the museum starts with a movie section that explains the exoteric meaning of the truffle that, according to ancient legends, originated from lightning. The journey thwn continues through a long, sensory experience.
In fact, since the opening day, the first visitors were invited to try to recognize the truffle through the senses. This is done by feeling it while rummaging with one's hands into big jars, listening to the footsteps of the 'searching ' dog and to the sound of the vanghetto (the small spade used to dig it out), by tasting its flavor and, finally, by sniffing its distinctive smell, trying to identify it among various other strong odors. This last test, called 'odorama', represents a veritable smell extravaganza which is truly unique.
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Articles on similar subjects:
- Cafaggiolo Caste, Truffle Satellite Auction with London and New York – November 15, 2004
- The Chef's Corner: Truffles, Mushrooms and Chestnuts – November 1, 2004
- 21st Regional Fair of the Quality Black Truffle – February 9, 2004
- 38th National Festival of the Truffle from Acqualagna – October 22, 2003
- Inside the Palace of King Truffle (Nel Palazzo del Re Tartufo) – September 23, 2003
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