"La Scelta" at the Olympic Stadium in Rome
A memorable event with Antonino Cannavacciuolo and Berto's La Cucina
“La Scelta”: at the Olympic Stadium in Rome
a memorable event with Antonino Cannavacciuolo and Berto's La Cucina
Rome is known worldwide for its ancient history and extraordinary wealth of monuments from all periods. But the Eternal City also has an important place in modernity and contemporary times, guarding some of the temples of the most courageous experiments in building and architecture: we just have to think of the futuristic E.U.R. complex, the elegance of the Foro Italico and the Olympic Village, the stunning Richard Meier complex dating back to 2006 and encompassing the Ara Pacis Augustae, Renzo Piano’s Parco della Musica and the
Olympic Stadium designed by Enrico del Debbio. The magnificent Olympic Stadium, with its 90,000 seats, has always held major events: the Olympics and the Athletics World Championships, the finals of the most important international football and rugby events, the concerts of international stars. On 19 April 2016, the Olympic Stadium also became one of the places in which Great International Cuisine is celebrated, and this is thanks to the brilliant initiative "La Scelta", created by Antonino
Cannavacciuolo, the famous and volcanic forty-year-old Neapolitan chef with two Michelin stars, as well as an established television star and author of several books dedicated to his passion. Through the School he founded, the Academy, Cannavacciuolo has for several years been using successful experiences in order to help other entrepreneurs build efficient and economically sound business ( "I think this is one of the best jobs in the world - says Cannavacciuolo - but it is also one of the hardest: that's why I decided to help anyone who has chosen to
work in the restaurant industry to become a true entrepreneur and to acquire the tools, techniques and knowledge necessary to run a solid, rewarding and lasting business").
Cannavacciuolo’s Roman intuition to organise an Academy training show by mounting a massive stage in front of the Olympic grandstands, is the kind of intuition that marks an important turning point, perhaps even one of no return. On stage, in an idyllic setting framed by the
stadium, there was the Chef and a beautiful La Cucina (Berto's was a technical partner and sponsor of the event); several thousand spectators on the grandstands, who throughout the day were able to watch and listen to cooking shows, lectures, discussions, interviews and motivational ideas. An event that we could define as being edutainment, or educational entertainment: a new way of learning that combines a show with the acquisition of substantial information and skills. A winning mixture, the ingredients of which - as if it were a plate of food - are entertainment, professionalism, entrepreneurialism and a huge amount of enthusiasm.
It is possible for anyone to make the mistake of confusing popularisation with trivialization, and to then turn up their nose at the concept of edutainment that the chef from Campania has applied to the world of gastronomic entrepreneurs and staged in the evocative setting of the Olympic Stadium. We, on the other hand, think that alongside the classic fascinating image of the great chef who intricately weaves together ingredients in his exclusive couturier boutique of flavours, Antonino Cannavacciuolo’s choice is very effective and extremely modern: opening the doors of his kitchen and revealing the secrets of his craft, both as a chef and a successful entrepreneur, to the general public in a stadium is perhaps, as well as winning intuition, the enlightened choice of a great artisan of taste who in addition to knowing how to do it, also knows how to have fun teaching it.
