The magic of the flavours made in Italy and the genius of a successful entrepreneur like Oscar Farinetti led to the creation of «FICO Eataly World», the largest agri-food park in the world, built near Bologna. FICO stands for Fabbrica Italiana COntadina (Italian peasant factory) and aims to present all the marvels of Italian biodiversity in one place, telling Italian food from the beginning, from raw materials, to show how they turn into high quality finished products. And with food there are many other aspects of made in Italy through production and research. FICO has ...
been called the “Disneyland of Italian Food & Beverage”. The agri-food park offers the best of national products in an area that extends over two hectares of fields and stables with more than 200 animals in the open air and another eight hectares covered with 40 Italian food factories of excellence, wine and beer, meats and sausages, pasta and cereals, fruit and vegetables and preserves, fish, dairy products, desserts. There are about fifty restaurants, shops and areas dedicated to sport, children, reading and services. The entire district is self-sufficient in terms of energy thanks to the installation of photovoltaic panels.
Farinetti's initiative is an opportunity for a sensory journey in the world of Italian cuisine and design. With fresh and typical Italian food products there are different thematic areas, from design to furniture, from tableware and cooking to those dedicated to the care of the body and the home, with products of phytocosmetics. Eataly's market also ranges from glasses to home appliances, to the most unusual objects and to the library area, where food for the mind and food for the body are combined.
At FICO Eataly World it is possible to buy, learn and savour Italian excellences, not just food, but also products and brands that make our country great in the world. The Bolognese market is divided by themes and supply chains, and in addition to spending, it also allows you to meet personally the great masters of the gastronomic shops, make tastings and live in a family environment.
Helped by four universities that animate the Fico Foundation, the Fabbrica Italiana COntadina is animated by 150 companies that have their own exhibition and demonstration areas. There are six classrooms, a congress center that can accommodate up to a thousand guests, a cinema, a theater, a post office, six educational "rides" with interactive supports, even a tennis court and a volleyball court.
In the agri-food park you can walk on foot or with special three-wheeled bikes, letting yourself be guided by the nature, the perfumes, the beauty and a story that comes from afar and which now opens new horizons. The aim is to present the thousand facets of Italian food and wine tradition and Oscar Farinetti confesses: "We had a dream, an immense and joyful place where everyone can be protagonists of the Italian agri-food chain". (Anna Ferrero)