Cultural Festival — Italian Food Culture

Cultural Festival in Trani

The Cultural Festival — Italian Food Culture is a traveling gastronomic event, conceived in 2014 by Mauro Bochicchio and the Consortium Paris. Its Apulian editions are hosted at the Monastero di Colonna in Trani, in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani (BT). For a few days, this ancient monastic building, built by the Benedictines perched above the blue Adriatic, becomes a cultural stage for discussing food, gastronomy, and Italian identity.

Food as Culture

Cultural is more than just a food fair: it is a festival centered on the values of healthy eating, product quality, and environmental sustainability. Michelin-starred chefs, master pizza makers, bartenders, producers, and food artisans gather to create a journey where every tasting becomes a story and every experience a fragment of tradition.

Typical Program

The event is divided into several thematic areas that bring the Monastery's spaces to life:

• Gran Chef — signature cuisine with live demonstrations and masterclasses by starred chefs;
• Oro Puro — the art of baking and signature pizza presented by great masters;
• Mixology — contemporary bartending and cocktail craft;
• Sala Tasting — guided tastings of wines, oils, beers, spirits, and cheeses;
• Sala Talk — meetings and discussions with food critics and journalists.

Alongside the main events, an exhibition area hosts selected companies and food artisans, while a gala dinner brings together guests and protagonists of the festival.

Trani and Puglia on the Table

Hosting the festival in Trani links it to one of Puglia's most beautiful seaside towns, famous for its cathedral on the sea and a port that has been a crossroads of Mediterranean trade for centuries. In this setting, Cultural celebrates Italian food culture in dialogue with Apulian identity, featuring local products, extra virgin olive oil, regional wines, and flavors from the BAT hinterland. An event designed for enthusiasts, professionals, and curious visitors who want to experience food as a cultural journey.