In March “La Settimana del Pesto” to promote the candidacy of Genoese Pesto as a UNESCO heritage mortar
GENOA. From March 12 to 18 Genoa and Liguria will be colored green-basil, with an entire week dedicated to the promotion of the candidacy of Pesto Genovese prepared using marble mortar and wooden pestle to UNESCO heritage: special menus, collective “pested” experiences, gastronomic flash mobs, and the highlight of the Genoa Pesto World Championship to be held at Palazzo Ducale on Saturday 17 live streaming on Facebook.
But the heart of the initiative will be the collection of signatures to which all the Genoese and the Ligurians will be called, to support the request to include the tradition of “Pesto al mortaio” among the intangible heritage of UNESCO.
The Week of Pesto is organized by the Liguria Region, the City of Genoa, the Chamber of Commerce of Genoa and the Ligurian Rivieras and the Municipalities of Liguria that will join the initiative.
A signature for Pesto as UNESCO World Heritage
In all the towns, Ligurians will be able to sign the forms to collect signatures to support the candidature: thousands of signatures that will be brought in a single booklet to the UNESCO commissioners, to show that behind the mortar and pestle there is the popular mobilization of the whole region. Great mobilization also from the world of commerce: restaurateurs, owners of Ligurian delis and merchants will participate in the week with menus based on pesto, tastings and themed windows.
The Genoa Pesto World Championship returns to the Ducal Palace
Saturday, March 17th, 100 selected competitors across Italy (50 Ligurians, 25 Italians and 25 from abroad) will compete to win the seventh Genoa Pesto World Championship using marble mortar and wooden pestle. Also this year the event will be preceded by the junior edition, dedicated to children, to grow the “pesters” of the future.
Pesto Pride: all together to beat!
“Armed” with mortar and pestle, the Genoese will be called Saturday 17 to peacefully invade Piazza De Ferrari to prepare Pesto together, spreading the scent of basil throughout the city. Regione Liguria will provide the ingredients and a strictly green apron. The following day, Sunday 18, the collective “pestata” will be repeated in dozens of Ligurian municipalities, with the finalists of the Championship directing the “orchestra” of pestles.
“Pestimonials” and #WorldPestoDay
The week of pesto will have a special resonance thanks to the “Pestimonials”, many famous Ligurians who have agreed to become testimonials of pesto and who will tell everyone their love for the sauce with basil. And on Saturday 17th every Ligurian and every self-respecting gourmet will be invited to invade Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with photos of trofie dishes and trenette under the hashtag #WorldPestoDay, which aims to become the most clicked of the day making pesto the web star. The social initiative was conceived as part of the European project Interactive Cities – Urbact of the Municipality of Genoa.
