Press conference at City Council Chamber of the Municipality of Rieti
Everything is ready for the “First International Amatriciana Day”, which will be celebrated in Amatrice starting on Friday 6 March. The weekend (through 8 March) will be packed with cultural, commercial, recreational and artistic events (programme attached).
To reiterate the arrangements and aims of the initiative, the following took part today in Rieti, in the City Council Chamber of the Municipality: the Regional Councillor for Public Works, Reconstruction Policies, Roads and Infrastructure of the Lazio Region, Manuela Rinaldi, whom we thank for her availability; the Mayor of Rieti, Daniele Sinibaldi; the Deputy Mayor of Rieti with responsibility for Sport and Tourism, Chiara Mestichelli; the Councillor for Productive Activities of the Municipality of Rieti, Claudia Chiarinelli; the Mayor of Amatrice, Giorgio Cortellesi; and the President of the Amatrice Restaurants and Hotel Association, Giovanni Apa.
Following on from Italian Cuisine, which on 10 December last year was officially recognised by UNESCO as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”, this is another great local and international opportunity to highlight Italian and Rieti food-and-wine excellence by celebrating “the first among first courses”, Amatriciana, which on 6 March 2020 obtained from the European Commission the certification of “Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG)”.
And it is precisely 6 March that has been chosen by the Association of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Amatrice – in collaboration with and under the patronage of the Municipality of Amatrice – as the official launch date of “International Amatriciana Day”. The event is also held under the patronage of the Lazio Region, the Chamber of Commerce of Rieti and Viterbo, and Roma Tre University.
At the opening day, in addition to the speakers at the press conference, the participation is expected of high-ranking institutional figures such as the President of the Lazio Region, Francesco Rocca, the Commissioner for Reconstruction, Guido Castelli, the Chamber of Deputies’ Quaestor, Paolo Trancassini, the Regional Councillor for Culture of the Lazio Region, Simona Baldassarre, and the Mayor of L’Aquila, Pier Luigi Biondi.
STATEMENTS:
MANUELA RINALDI (Regional Councillor for Public Works, Reconstruction Policies, Roads and Infrastructure of the Lazio Region): “Amatriciana is the iconic dish of Amatrice and a symbolic dish of Lazio cuisine, recognised as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) since 2020 and closely linked to Italian gastronomic culture, which has recently been declared Intangible Heritage by UNESCO. The dish, originating from Amatrice, is protected for its historic recipe.
6 March is International Amatriciana Day and precisely on this day the Lazio Region renews the commitment of the institutions alongside Amatrice and the communities of the crater area. The Lazio Region is determinedly continuing along the path of reconstruction, safeguarding the identity, traditions and development prospects of the area. Promoting Amatriciana means concretely supporting the economic and social rebirth of this community.”
GIORGIO CORTELLESI (Mayor of Amatrice): “For us, Amatriciana is not only a symbol of food-and-wine excellence, which showcases the richness of a territory that deserves respect and support for what it has endured, especially after the earthquake, but above all it represents the driving force for the socio‑economic restart of Amatrice and its hamlets. The initiative of Amatriciana Day on 6 March is very welcome, as it virtuously joins our well‑known Spaghetti Festival, already famous worldwide.”
GIOVANNI APA (President of Aram): “All over the world there are days that celebrate something, but there was no institutional day dedicated to celebrating Amatriciana, which is one of the iconic dishes of Italian cuisine. Starting from this idea, we created this day, which was born from the local area and involves numerous associations in Amatrice. However, the day is not only a celebration of Amatriciana, but above all a strong message of positivity for everyone and an invitation to visit the tourist attractions of our area, which will be the real stars of the event.”