Maddalena Fossati at TEDx Padova: why Italian cuisine is now UNESCO

Maddalena Fossati at TEDx Padova: why Italian cuisine is now UNESCO heritage

On Saturday, May 9, 2026, Maddalena Fossati will be a speaker at TEDx Padova to discuss the inscription of Italian cuisine on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, a recognition granted at the end of 2025. Fossati, a journalist and editor-in-chief of a leading culinary magazine, played a central role in promoting the nomination and will outline the cultural and social reasons behind this achievement.

Her talk aims to clarify how Italy's culinary traditions moved from everyday practice to internationally recognized cultural heritage, and to highlight practical implications for communities, businesses, and cultural promotion.

• Speaker: Maddalena Fossati, nomination promoter and culinary magazine editor.
• Main topics: reasons for the nomination, benefits for local areas, the relationship between cuisine and media.
• Significance: the UNESCO listing, confirmed at the end of 2025, provides opportunities for safeguarding and promotion.
• Date: May 9, 2026 (one-day event).

Professionals in tourism, culture, and hospitality can gain concrete ideas from the talk on leveraging the UNESCO status: highlight local products, narrate traditional practices, and partner with cultural events to enhance experiential promotion and community engagement.