Carlo Petrini passed away, one of the greatest intellectuals of our time

Carlo Petrini passed away, one of the most influential figures in gastronomic culture, and not only, of our time. Founder of Slow Food and Terra Madre, he died last night at the age of 76 in Bra, the town where he was born. With him, we lose one of the greatest intellectuals of our era, capable of transforming the simple act of eating into a political, cultural, and poetic act. His philosophy of “good, clean, and fair” inspired millions of people around the world to rediscover the value of time, the land, and community. Thanks to Carlin, food is no longer just nourishment, but it has become awareness, resistance, and mindful slowness. His legacy lives on in every slow bite, in every farmer defended, in every table that rejects the rush of the world. His great visionary capacity and his love for the common good, for human relationships, for nature, and for biodiversity took shape with Slow Food (1986), the international Terra Madre network, and the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo (2004).
Carlo Petrini, who left us at the age of 76 yesterday, on May 21st, late in the evening in his hometown of Bra, was also co-founder of the Laudato si’ Communities (2017), inspired by Pope Francis encyclical. Despite not being a believer, Petrini developed a sincere and deep friendship with the Pope, who described him as a “pious agnostic”. “Those who sow utopia reap reality”, Carlo Petrini loved to say that summarizing his life in this way. He believed that dreams and visions, when they are beautiful, right, capable of engaging others, and lived with conviction and passion, can become reality. He knew how to dream and have fun, to build and inspire, working toward concrete social redemption, especially alongside young people, advocating fraternity, emotional intelligence, and austere anarchy. His energy, his extraordinary empathy, his drive to act, and his example of life will be the strength which guides us all.