From 31 May to 2 June 2019 the eleventh edition of Passione Italia took place in Madrid, in conjunction with the celebration of the Festa della Repubblica Italiana.
The event was dedicated to Made in Italy and it has been organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with the italian embassy and the main italian institutions in Spain.
The ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda, Dario Item, attended the event in the evocative setting of the Madrid Rio Park, a wide green area that is one of the most striking and futuristic areas of the city. It is located on the banks of the Manzanares river, the river of Madrid.
Along with Dario Item, other personalities took part in the event (which was dedicated to the Campania region): the Italian Ambassador in Madrid Stefano Sannino, the President of CCIS (Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Spain) Marco Pizzi, the Councillor for Internalisation, Start Up-Innovation of the Campania Region Valeria Fascione and the Emilia-Romagna Association in Spain (As.Er.Es).
The event was an extraordinary success. Thousands of people attended the several cultural activities settled to promote italian excellence in gastronomy, craftsmanship and tourism.
Catering areas, tourist info-points, concerts by Italian artists. All this brought to the Madrid Rio Park about 60.000 people, including exhibitors and visitors.
Numbers that have certainly satisfied the 28 sponsors of the event.
Passione Italia: stands, activities and news
Gastronomy and tourism were the undisputed protagonists of the 47 stands of Passione Italia, the spanish event dedicated to the made in Italy.
Food trucks, stands with typical products from the italian regional cuisine (pasta, risotto, lasagna, arancini, but also cheese, sauces, cakes and baked goods of all kinds). The “Italian aperitif” moment was a must, too. And again, lots of food activities: showcooking and gastronomic championships.
Passione Italia has confirmed itself once again this year as a far-reaching event, suitable for families and children. Countless activities have been organized, always skillfully balanced between fun and learning: magic shows, dance and cooking workshops. For the little ones there were bouncy castles, too.
Along with a number of stands selling italian handicrafts, tourist info-points promoted the best Italian tourist resorts.
As in the 2018 edition, a Food Lab of 60 square meters has been set up. A door to the magic world of italian gastronomy: tastings, show cooking sessions, seminars, gastronomic competitions and championships.
A new feature of the Passione Italia 2019 edition: the beach area. Particularly appreciated for relaxing moments between one event and another.
Music of Passione Italia
Passione Italia is about gastronomy, tourism, handicrafts. Music has a place to be, too.
The 2019 edition opened with a tribute to one of the most loved and representative italian songwriters: Fabrizio De André. The concert was performed by a band called ‘Â çímma.
The show of Umberto Tozzi, one of the most famous Italian artists abroad, was also much appreciated. On Friday evening he performed all his greatest successes in an hour and a half of concert.
During the three days of the event, concerts continued with band like Biaciamolemani, Swing Machina Orchestra, Terra Taranta. The Official Italian Choir in Spain also performed: it is an artistic project by Francesco Ercolani. The choir performed some of the most famous Italian arias, including Mameli’s theme, the italian national anthem.
The 2019 edition of Passione Italia ended with the DJ set of Torrione DJ and Luchino. They did not fail to make visitors dance until midnight, like they did in the 2018 edition.
