A sensorial journey ready to consecrate Sicily as the cultural center of gravity of the Mediterranean through the valorization of its priceless culinary heritage. The Casa del Gusto di Sicilia comes to life in the city of Catania, the very first permanent museum intended to celebrate the centuries-old gastronomic tradition of the island.
The innovative experiential hub bears the signature of Andrea Finocchiaro, founder and general director of Ristoworld Italy, and Federica Guglielmino, social media manager of the same international association. The initiative was created to enhance a culinary heritage forged for millennia of historical dominations and contaminations, transforming iconic recipes and raw materials into a global cultural and tourist attraction.
An inclusive path also for disabled people
Analyzing the genesis of the project, Finocchiaro and Guglielmino explain:
Sicilian cuisine is the result of a stratification of cultures and territories and of a millenary evolution. The idea of the Museum was therefore born to map and make tangible this unique heritage in the Mediterranean.
Great attention will also be given to inclusiveness with accessible routes for disabled people and simultaneous translations into multiple languages:
We want to shed light on the open and inclusive cultural ecosystem through not a passive exhibition but the regional reference center for multiple targets. Tourists, with experiential itineraries and the discovery of symbolic recipes. People with disabilities, thanks to totally accessible and conclusive paths. Citizens and families, thanks to the reconnection with traditions and regional identity. Schools and operators, with didactic, technical and scientific dissemination training. Local producers, with ad hoc exhibition spaces and market places for the supply chains.”.
The four thematic sections and integration with the territory
The internal itinerary of the structure is divided into four large areas studied down to the smallest detail. We start from the historical gastronomic route, where fixed sets, panels and artificial intelligence reproduce the history of traditional dishes. We continue with the Teatro del Gusto, a dynamic area equipped with a professional kitchen designed for cooking classes, show cooking and masterclasses with chefs. The third area includes the sensorial and cultural routes, full of guided tastings of oils, wines, cured meats and cheeses, flanked by a multimedia conference room intended for scientific collaborations with Sicilian universities.
The experience culminates in the Market of Sicilian Excellences, a meeting point between the public and local companies based on physical exhibition spaces and digital sales via e-commerce channels. The entire hub supports itself through ticketing, corporate events and partnerships with producers. The creators hope that the project will be a strategic lever to enhance the territory and promote the Sicily brand.
