“Charles & Carlo” and the love for Italy in the hug to the King to Slow Food patron Carlin Petrini

“Man, being reasonable, must get drunk, the best of life is but intoxication: glory, the grape, love, gold, in these are sunk the hopes of all men, and of every nation”. Never, maybe, words such as those by great British poet Lord Byron were more adapt to explain the sense of devoted hug, by longstanding friends, and “breaking” any label between King Charles and Carlin Petrini in the last stage of State Journey to Italy of Charles and Camilla to celebrate 20 years of wedding, and strengthen the bond between our countries. A signal of mutual and deep esteem, certainly (since far 2004, when, knowing of its sensitiveness towards agriculture and farm world, the gastronome invited the Prince of Wales to the Saloon of Taste, in Turin, ed), but, which, symbolically becomes a concrete testimony of the support that British Royals have always dedicated to the philosophy of “slow food” with which, the great world movement promoted “the right to pleasure, and to good, clean, and right foot for everyone as part of research and prosperity, and of happiness for current and future humanity, and for the entire network of living”, and of which the British King is the promoter in Great Britain, and in the countries of Commonwealth. As well as, by enlarging the arms to the President of Republic Sergio Mattarella, to food artisans of Slow Food presidia, to “sfogline” of Tortellante to make pasta, and to prepare “tortellini” with three Michelin star chef of Osteria Francescana di Modena Massimo Bottura, to the open wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and paired with Scottish whiskey in honor of the Royals to whom the president of the consortium Nicola Bertinelli donated the traditional “coltellino d’oro” - “golden knife” to cut cheese, to Massimo Spigaroli, the “king” of Culatello di Zibello, and to the producers of what is the “king” of Romagna wines, Sangiovese, with Vistamare Colle Giove 2022 by chef-vigneron Carlo Cracco poured in the wine glasses (and a box was donated to Their Majesties) pairing with “Sfoglia di grani antichi, ricotta, pepe e prosciutto di Agnello Gallese Igp” - “Phyllo dough of ancient wheat, ricotta cheese, pepper, and prosciutto of Agnello Gallese Igp” for the last toast, that gesture became a hug to all the country, to its history, culture, and cuisine, since always very appreciated by British people at any time period.
“The promise of Highgrove was kept  - writes, today, Carlo Petrini -  (in an article, signed by him on newspaper “La Stampa”), recalling the dinner of King Charles in Highgrove property to celebrate the relationships between Italy and the Uk, and, particularly, Slow Food and Slow Fashion, the last February – in the three – day trip which saw King Charles and Queen Camilla be back in Italy to celebrate the twenty years of wedding, the hug, not only symbolical with producers from Ravenna is the tangible signal of a friendship, and of a common vision which continues persistently against any form of negation of climate change. For this reason, as soon as I saw it, I immediately congratulated with him for his speech at the Parliament. His words are important, mainly in these difficult days that are shocking the world due to who realized the urgency of climate when environment was still considered to be a marginal theme”. But, Petrini also announces that “his fundamental experiences of biodiversity will become a book collecting 500 products of the Uk to be defended under the name of Ark of Taste”, and, which, President Mattarella ensured his presence at Terra Madre Taste Saloon 2026 in Turin.
King Charles, “Farmer King” (as WineNews renamed the following day of his coronation explaining his bonds, and those of British royal family with Italy) has been always attentive to the themes of agriculture: not only as producer of organic food, breeder and producer of wines in its property in Highgrove, in Gloucestershire, in which he produces a line of products, the Duchy Organic – among fruit, cured meats, eggs, and jams – which are sold in supermarkets Waitrose in all Great Britain. But, Charles is also a supporter of British farmers, for example with “The Prince’s Countryside Fund”, launched in 2010, as Prince of Wales to support farm families of the Uk.
From the dinner in Villa Wolkonsky, in Rome, residence of British Ambassador Edward Llewellynm (which, in this occasion was the residence of British Royals) with wines from Lazio between Roma Doc and Frascati, to the cup of ice cream at Antica Gelateria Giolitti, very close to Montecitorio, before the historical speech of the King of England at the Italian Parliament, in which he also talked about biodiversity, and Italian cuisine which make our country unique; from the toast at Quirinale in which President Mattarella recalled the first feast with Queen Elizabeth, the same Lord Byron, and his love for Italy, but also the preservation of the ecosystem of Tenuta Presidenziale di Castelporziano inspired to Highgrove Gardens before toasting with great Italian wines in an ideal journey from North to South, and in pairing with a menu focused on simplicity, and local raw materials, up to Ravenna, where, after the visit to the tomb of Dante, universal symbol of Italian culture and identity, and to the Museum dedicated to Byron who lived in the city for love, and after having met the farmers hit by floods, British Royals were hosted by the typically “Romagnola” hospitality, in Piazza del Popolo, in food and wine Festival of Emilia Romagna, and of Italian and English Slow Food were the stages which characterized the State Visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla to Italy, in a journey, which, somehow, was also a food and wine trip, and which saw Italian good food and wine as great protagonists in reinforcing the bond between two great cultures, such as British and Italian ones.