ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Siena Food Innovation: Medieval Recipes Revived by Chef and Archaeologist

festival-fair · 2026-05-05

The Siena Food Innovation festival, part of the Millennials Fest, takes place on October 5-6 in Siena, focusing on food and environmental sustainability. The event involves the University of Siena, MIUR, and the Prima Foundation, which unites 19 Mediterranean countries. A total of €500 million will be invested over the coming years to address climate change, water scarcity, malnutrition, and unsustainable farming. A performance by chef Matteo Lorenzini, photographer Lido Vannucchi, and archaeologist Marco Valenti revives medieval recipes from Latin and vernacular cookbooks, showcasing poor ingredients as healthy, eco-friendly, and visually appealing. The performance in the Cortile del Podestà of Piazza del Campo includes a multimedia installation linking the 17 UN 2030 Agenda icons to Ambrogio Lorenzetti's fresco "Allegory of Good Government," highlighting parallels between medieval governance and modern sustainability goals.

Key facts

  • Siena Food Innovation is part of the Millennials Fest, held October 5-6 in Siena.
  • Involved institutions: University of Siena, MIUR, Prima Foundation (19 Mediterranean countries).
  • €500 million investment planned for agrifood sustainability issues.
  • Performance by Matteo Lorenzini, Lido Vannucchi, and Marco Valenti.
  • Recipes recovered from medieval Latin and vernacular cookbooks.
  • Focus on poor medieval ingredients as healthy and sustainable.
  • Multimedia installation compares 17 UN 2030 Agenda icons with Ambrogio Lorenzetti's 'Buongoverno' fresco.
  • Event held at Cortile del Podestà, Piazza del Campo, Siena.

Entities

Artists

  • Matteo Lorenzini
  • Lido Vannucchi
  • Marco Valenti
  • Ambrogio Lorenzetti

Institutions

  • University of Siena
  • MIUR
  • Prima Foundation
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Siena
  • Italy
  • Piazza del Campo
  • Cortile del Podestà

Sources