King Charles visited Italy this week on a state visit with Queen Camilla. What is it about the “bel paese” that he loves so much? Is it the rich artistic culture of its cities, the beautiful countryside, Italian cuisine, the historic architecture or the warm welcome?
On this trip he had only four days to split between Rome and Ravenna. However, King Charles has visited Italy 17 time before, spending some quality time in Tuscany.
(Main picture: King Charles III meets Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni at Villa Pamphili in Rome. Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com)
The King certainly appreciates Italian food. Prior to travelling to Italy, he asked chef Francesco Mazzei to prepare a seasonal Italian menu, for a formal dinner held at his Highgrove Estate.
One of the special guests was the Italian-American actor, Stanley Tucci, presenter of “Searching for Italy”, a TV programme that celebrates Italian food and culture. In the King’s dinner speech he said: “Our two nations share so many ties, between our people; between our culture; a deep friendship rooted in shared values, mutual affection and mutual respect.”
Rome, Lazio
On Tuesday, the colours of the national flags of the UK’s Red Arrows and Italy’s Frecce Tricolori trailed across the blue skies of Rome. A clear symbol of the close military ties between the two countries. In front of the Colosseum, military bands played popular tunes, including the Gladiator theme, as a crowd of children, tourists and Italians, gathered to greet the royal couple. After a lot of handshaking, they were invited to enjoy a panoramic view of the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine.
Caring for the environment
King Charles is only the fourth non-Italian to be invited to address the Italian Houses of Parliament, and they certainly appreciated him doing part of his speech in Italian. He spoke particularly passionately about one subject he feels very strongly about; climate change and the importance of sustainable farming. Subsequently, stating that “Italy’s own natural heritage is blessed with extraordinary riches; indeed, Italy remains home to the highest number of animal species in Europe”.
Charles speaks to Italy’s parliament. (Marco Iacobucci Epp / Shutterstock.com)
Historic buildings
King Charles is known to have a keen interest in architecture, a fascination shared by many visitors to the “Eternal City”. Thankfully, In Rome you don’t have to be royalty to enjoy walking where the romans once trod, and see historical buildings. What an amazing place to live and work. Imagine passing monuments, piazzas, and decorative fountains, on your way to the office. Meeting friends for a morning expresso and an aperitif after work.
Rome rolls out the red carpet
President Sergio Mattarella has the pleasure of living and working in Rome’s Quirinale Palace. It was here that he welcomed the royal couple, and hosted a glitzy state banquet in their honour. Special guests included politicians and celebrities, including Andrea Bocelli.
A visit to the Colosseum (Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com)[/caption]
During the day, King Charles had a private meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, at another elegant villa in Rome, Villa Doria Pamphili, just outside the ancient walls of Rome. Surrounded by the city’s largest landscaped public park, the gardens are referred to locally as the “Green Gem of Rome”. Like Hyde Park in London and New York’s Central Park, this beautiful garden is a peaceful place for Rome’s residents to walk and relax.
Grand palaces
Italy certainly does pomp and ceremony well, and has historic palaces that would impress any King. Incredibly, the Palace of Caserta, near Naples, boasts 1,200 rooms, 425 more than Buckingham Palace. There are also some very impressive palaces near Turin. Once owned by the Royal House of Savoy, these stunning residences are included on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and are open to the public.
This luxurious villa in the Lazio countryside can be yours for €1,750,000. Click image for photos and details.
Ravenna, Emilia Romagna
Ravenna is 11 kilometres from the Adriatic coast and 80 kilometres east of Bologna. Well known for its superb traditional cuisine, Emilia Romagna owes its reputation for quality food products, to its excellent local farms. In Piazza Andrea Costa, you can find an impressive covered market, selling fish, cheese, cured meats, fruit, vegetables etc.
The royal visit
During Charles and Camilla’s stay in Ravenna, King Charles visited the 5th and 6th century mosaics in the Basilica of San Vitale and the adjacent Mausoleum of Galla Placidia. He also took part in a meeting of the Academy of Fine Arts of Ravenna.
As King of the United Kingdom and Canada, he commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Ravenna province in World War II, in which British and Canadian forces played a key role.
Great food products
The visit to Ravenna coincided with a regional festival celebrating traditional cuisine. Here they met local farmers, including those affected by flooding. Farms in this region produce cheeses loved around the world, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano, as well as locally made pasta Tortellini, tagliatelle and lasagna. Other well-known products from this region include Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham), and balsamic vinegar.
Historic city of Ravenna
Ravenna is a wonderful place to have as your local town. Listed by UNESCO, it is one of the most historic cities in Italy, and is renowned for its fine examples of Byzantine art and mosaics. The famous English poet, Lord Byron, stayed in Ravenna, and the museum in Palazzo Guiccioli has been dedicated to him.
Ravishing Ravenna: the main square
Outside the city there is a unique landscape of nature reserves created to protect the environment in the Po Delta Park. It is a beautiful area to walk, cycle, canoe, or go horse riding, among pine forests, and waterways.
Florence, Tuscany
Tuscany has a strong connection with the English, from the Grand Tour to Chiantishire. The Windsor family and the Florentine Frescobaldi family’s friendship goes back some seven hundred years. For a long time, King Charles has been interested in Tuscan wines, the cuisine, and agriculture.
Slow Food
Charles learnt a lot about Italian agriculture through the invaluable work of Carlin Petrini, founder of Slow Food. When it first began in 1986, Slow Food was promoted in Italy as an alternative to fast food. It strived to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encouraged farmers to grow plants, seeds, and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem.
Even though Slow Food has now spread around the world, it is still made up of local groups united by a common goal. Ultimately, to ensure everyone has access to food that is good for them, good for the people that grow it, and good for the planet. The short chain between the farm to the table is something you will see across Italy. This is why local specialties, however simple, are so fresh and full of flavour.
From farm to table
In Florence, there is a policy applied to businesses in the UNESCO protected historic centre, that 70% of their produce must be locally sourced. It helps to preserve the authentic Tuscan character and prevents fast food chains from diluting the authentic Italian appearance of the streets. Here you know your “Bistecca alla Fiorentina” (beef steak) is sourced from a local cattle breed, which is traditionally the Chianina.
Art in Tuscany
King Charles is known for his love of art, and is a keen painter himself. With the help of his friend Bona Marchi Frescobaldi, he has painted the Chianti countryside on several occasions during visits to Florence. In 1986 he stayed with the Frescobaldi family for a whole week. The Marchesa recounted to the il messaggero news, “Every morning from the centre of Florence we moved to a different city: we visited Pisa, San Gimignano, Volterra and Lucca and at each stop an art historian awaited us to act as our guide. Charles was also passionate about watercolours, and every day we took him to see new landscapes that he then painted.”
The city of Florence, is an art lovers dream. The Uffizi gallery, Santa Maria del Fiore and Palazzo Vecchio are amazing. Even the streets and piazzas are a work of art, with statues and monuments everywhere. Its like walking around an open-air museum. Those who want to learn more about art history go to the British Institute of Florence, which is located in several fine palazzo houses by the river Arno. In 2005, the Princess of Wales, (then Kate Middleton) spent part of her gap year studying art history and Italian here.
Why everyone loves Italy
Artists and historians, chefs and musicians, Kings and Queens, have all been inspired by this incredible country. Everything is beautifully connected and in harmony. The stunning countryside landscape that provides fresh produce to the table of nonna’s and kings alike.
The mountains and forests that have given us stone, marble and wood to build fine buildings that stand strong for centuries. Finally, it is the Italian culture, where people strive to preserve local traditions. From farming techniques to family recipes, festivals to craft workshops, they all contribute to the character of the Italy that we know and love.
