Conceived and promoted by the Future Food Institute, in collaboration with the Municipality of Pollica and the Angelo Vassallo Mediterranean Diet Study Center, the cultural project Trame Mediterranee was created with the aim of raising awareness of the immense value of the Mediterranean Diet as intangible heritage.
It is a kaleidoscopic tapestry capable of highlighting the beauty of diversity, woven from the true stories of heroic farmers, explorations of the territory, and the wisdom of centenarians. It celebrates the magic of encounters, the care placed in relationships, and the power of conviviality, bringing to light the intrinsic values of the Mediterranean way of life.
In Pollica, together with the local community, we are co-creating an innovative concept of “paideia”: an educational model understood as the result of a continuous learning process that engages the whole person and places them in constant interaction with the surrounding environment.
We chose the cradle of the Mediterranean Diet deliberately. This is, in fact, the place where a concept of integral ecology was developed long before the term itself became widely used — the same idea that Pope Francis speaks about today: a way of living that combines human health with environmental protection; the enjoyment of food with the preservation of biodiversity; pride in one’s identity with the awareness of being shaped by cultural exchange; love for the sea with roots deeply grounded in the land.
The word “diet” is therefore understood in its original sense of a “way of life”, in which good food undoubtedly plays a central role, but not merely because of its nutritional and health benefits. Its true value lies in its extraordinary power to shape the quality of human life as a whole, our relationships, and the planet we inhabit.
In the aftermath of the pandemic that we were still facing, we chose to begin again from here: from the ability to understand that “everything is connected”. The food system is a tangible example of this interconnectedness, and the Mediterranean Diet represents a virtuous model that should be implemented and shared throughout the world.
The expression “Trame Mediterranee” — Mediterranean Tapestries — perfectly captures the essence of this initiative, which seeks to harness the power of connections, the threads of a tapestry, to bring together resources and beneficial relationships so that the community of Pollica, and the wider Cilento area, can thrive by drawing strength from a heritage it naturally possesses but which often remains dormant.
Starting from the rediscovery of the territory and the land, following the slow rhythm of Ci-lento, and from the stories of Cilento’s food heroes who, far from the spotlight, are the true everyday enablers and guardians of the area’s environmental, food and cultural biodiversity, the project aims to explore the roots of the Mediterranean way of living well and the kaleidoscope of knowledge, rituals, values, symbols, aromas and flavours that define it.
The goal is not only to preserve and celebrate the stories that make up Mediterranean history, but also to weave them together and regenerate them.
Drawing on the holistic concept of the Mediterranean Diet as an encounter and blending of different cultures, Trame Mediterranee aims to spread Mediterranean culture as a unique asset that we have both the duty and the responsibility to recognise and protect.
To achieve this, the project first operates as a concrete initiative for analysing the territory and mapping key stakeholders, followed by strategic outreach and educational activities designed to fully unlock the potential of the local educating community.
Future Food Institute programs are always structured around three phases:
INSPIRATION – Let us reflect on the “why” and allow ourselves to be inspired!
ASPIRATION – Let us learn from the stories of those who live the Mediterranean way of life every day: farmers, fishermen, centenarian grandparents…
ACTION – The great challenge today is to protect and spread this extraordinary heritage. It is time to roll up our sleeves and become agents of change!
Summer Camp Trame Mediterranee #1
May 27 – June 1, 2024 – Liceo Malpighi (Bologna), IIS G. Capellini – N. Sauro (La Spezia)
41 participating students and 4 school teachers accompanying the students.
Summer Camp Trame Mediterranee #2
June 3 – 8, 2023 – I.S.I.T. U. Bassi – P. Burgatti (Cento), IISS S. Mottura (Caltanissetta)
27 participating students and 4 school teachers accompanying the students.
Summer Camp Trame Mediterranee #3
June 18 – 23, 2023 – Liceo S. Pizzi (Capua), LS Dante Alighieri (Matera)
43 participating students and 3 school teachers accompanying the students.
