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Tutto Italiano
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From Tutto Italiano, September 2023
When
Caterina
de’
Medici
and
Prince
Henry,
Duke
of
Orléans
married
in
1533
–
through
an
arrangement
by
Pope
Clement
VII,
a
distant
Medici
relative
–
both
were
in
their
teens.
Clement’s
pact
with
Henry’s
father,
King
Francis
I,
blended
the
illustrious
Florentine
Medici
family
with
French
royalty.
Although
not
anticipated,
Henry
became
King
of
France
in
1547,
establishing Caterina as Queen of France.
Caterina’s
influence
on
French
culture
began
years
before
she
became
Queen.
When
she
arrived
in
France
to
marry
Henry,
she
brought
an
entourage
to
attend
to
her
individual
needs;
among
them
Cosimo
Ruggeri
(or
Ruggieri),
described
as
an
alchemist,
astrologer,
adviser,
and
also
a
sorcerer.
It’s
mentioned
that
Ruggeri
“won
a
cooking
prize”
in
a
contest
held
by
the
Medici
family,
and
Caterina
was
so
enamored
with
his
dessert,
she
brought
him
with
her
to
France,
and
the
acclaimed
creamy frozen dessert was served at the wedding.
In
much
earlier
times,
snow
and
ice
were
used
to
cool
drinks
and
later,
sweeteners
and
flavorings
were
added
to
create
a
type
of
sorbet.
By
some
accounts,
the
icy
treat
traveled
from
China
and
Eastern
Asia
to
the
Middle
East
and
then
to
Sicily;
others
give
credit
to
Marco
Polo
who
returned
to
Venice
from
China
in
the
early
1300s
with
a
recipe
for
a
cold
refreshment.
Whether
it
arrived
from
the
north
or
the
south,
by
the
mid-1500s,
the
frozen
concoction
was
a
popular
indulgence
in
the
Medici Court.
Joining
the
House
of
Medici
at
an
early
age
–
and
after
Caterina
had
moved
to
France
–
Bernardo
Buontalenti
received
training
as
a
painter,
sculptor,
and
architect,
acquiring
additional
skills
in
engineering,
mathematics,
pyrotechnics,
stage
design,
and
theatrical
productions.
In
1574,
at
43,
he
became
chief
architect
for
the
Medici
Court
and
under
the
rule
of
Grand
Duke
Francesco
I,
Buontalenti
transformed
a
reservoir
(or
plant
nursery)
built
for
Boboli
Gardens
into
a
cavern
of
carved
art
and sculptures, known as Buontalenti Grotto.
Buontalenti’s
numerous
skills
included
developing
methods
for
keeping
snow
and
ice
cold.
In
1559,
for
an
extravagant
event
hosted
by
Grand
Duke
Cosimo
I,
Buontalenti
“whipped
up
a
kind
of
frozen
zabaglione
made
with
sweetened
milk,
eggs,
and
wine
churned
over
salted
ice.”
The
addition
of
eggs
and
milk
and
the
stirring
process
produced
a
“velvety
texture.”
In
1979,
a
gelato
competition
was
held
in
Florence
to
honor
Bernardo
Buontalenti’s
gelato.
The
gelateria
that
won
trademarked
the
name
of
the
gelato
egg-cream
flavor
Buontalenti.
The
Talenti
brand
popular
today
borrows
part
of
Buontalenti’s
name,
but
it
is an American brand owned by a British conglomerate.
Adding
to
the
history
of
gelato,
in
1686
Francesco
Procopio
dei
Coltelli
(known
by
several
other
names)
moved
from
Sicily
to
Paris
and
opened
Le
Procope;
the
cafe
is
noted
for
establishing
the
coffee
culture
of
Paris.
It
became
a
meeting
place
for
the
literary
elite
and
American
dignitaries,
and
is
renowned
as
the
oldest
restaurant
in
Paris.
Before
Coltelli
moved
to
Paris,
he
learned
the
fishing
trade
from
his
father
and
grandfather,
but
his
grandfather
left
him
something
else
–
a
machine
that
turned
ingredients
into
gelato.
Before
the
cafe
opened,
the
frozen
treat
was
mostly
prepared
and
served
to
nobility,
but
it
became
widely known and available through the cafe.
It’s
noted
that
gelato
was
first
served
by
Giovanni
Biasiolo
in
New
York
in
1770,
six
years
before
the
colonies
became
the
United
States;
but
it
didn’t
gain
much
popularity
in
America
until
the
1900s.
Market
statistics
for
gelato
are
difficult
to
determine,
as
it
is
often
combined
with
other
frozen
dairy
products.
An
analysis
in
2018
reported
the
“gelato
industry
in
the
United
States
currently
generates
$2
billion
in
revenues
annually.”
With
shifts
toward
non-dairy
products
and
healthier
alternatives,
gelato
has
more
competition;
however,
the
desire
for
a
premium
quality
dessert
prevails.
In
2003,
Carpigiani
Gelato
University
was
founded
to
train
and
educate
“gelato
entrepreneurs
...
chefs
and
pastry
chefs.”
Located
in
Bologna
(Emilia-Romagna)
and
with
20
satellite
campuses,
the
University
accommodates
“more
than
4000
students
per
year.”
Online
courses are also offered, as well as consultations, success stories, a job center, and training materials.
The
University
is
a
division
of
Carpigiani,
a
“market
leader
in
the
production
of
machines
for
gourmet
gelato,”
and
has
numerous
academic
collaborations
with
educational
institutions
throughout
Italy.
Carpigiani
headquarters
also
houses
the
Gelato Museum, a fully immersible experience with “gelato classes, guided tours, [and] special tasting events.”