Striking Art Deco map of the culinary delights of Italy by Umberto Zimelli highlighting the food and wine found throughout Italy.
“During the two decades of Fascist rule, the exploration of gastronomy was completed by obtaining a complete map of the regions, by sketching out a preliminary inventory of typical products, and by promoting the awareness of local cuisines with books, advertising campaigns, shows, and festivals. The artist Umberto Zimelli was commissioned by ENIT (the Italian National Tourist Board) to create “La carta delle principali specialità gastronomiche delle regioni italiane” (Map of the principal culinary specializations of the Italian regions). This was a map with which foreigners could identify the best products available in the cheese or dessert industry, the best wines and preserved foods, and contemplate steaming bowls of pasta placed between bottles of wine and molds of cheese.” Capatti, Alberto, & Montanari, Massimo, ‘Italian Cuisine: A Cultural History’, Columbia University, New York, 1999.
