At the table with King Ruggero

On the occasion of Millennium 2027 – European Year of the Normans, a prestigious project of collaboration between Gambero Rosso Academy, the most important Italian culinary academy, and Maison Fauchon, a historic institution of French haute cuisine founded in Normandy, linked to the Norman terroir and internationally recognized for the excellence of its productions and its role in promoting European culinary culture, will be realized.

The initiative includes the creation of a grand medieval banquet in May 2027 at the evocative setting of the Botanical Garden of Palermo, a symbolic place of the meeting of cultures, biodiversity, and Mediterranean traditions.

The event aims to enhance the gastronomic heritage that developed in Norman Sicily between the 11th and 12th centuries, a period during which the island became an extraordinary crossroads of civilizations. The court of the Norman kings was able to integrate Latin, Byzantine, Arab, and European traditions, giving rise to a refined culture that found expression in the art of the table, food preparation techniques, and the use of spices, citrus fruits, aromatic herbs, and products from across the Mediterranean.

Through a work of historical research and contemporary reinterpretation, chefs, gastronomy experts, and scholars of medieval cuisine will be called upon to reconstruct a culinary path inspired by the banquets of the Norman courts, offering participants an immersive experience capable of combining history, culture, and haute cuisine.

The initiative also represents an important opportunity for dialogue between Sicily and Normandy, territories linked by a common historical heritage. The collaboration between Gambero Rosso Academy and Maison Fauchon indeed symbolizes the meeting of two European excellences that, through the universal language of gastronomy, aim to celebrate the contribution of the Normans to the construction of a shared cultural identity between the two shores of the continent.
The banquet will be enriched by moments of historical deepening, narratives dedicated to court life and medieval food culture, themed tastings, and educational activities aimed at the public, contributing to making the event one of the most significant moments of the Millennium 2027 program.

Practical Information

For everyone

Paid

Cooperation France / Italy

Partnership: Gambero Rosso Academy, Maison Fauchon