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Rediscover Sicily starting from food: the historic taste trains begin

Rediscover Sicily starting from food: the historic taste trains begin

THE FIRST TRAIN will depart from Syracuse on April 27th, will be dedicated to ‘party desserts’ and will stop in Noto, in the oasis of Vendicari, on the island of the Currents and in Ispica. He will talk about the territory, its gastronomic traditions and its raw materials of excellence, with the aim of conveying to the tourists a specific message: if you have to buy a product, choose one from the place. After the first one, of ‘historic trains of taste’ many others will leave, for a total of 50 itineraries, until December 8th, the day in which from Palermo it will be put in motion ‘The train of sfincione and fruit in winter’ – the sfincione is soft and leavened bread pizza with a sauce based on tomato, onion, anchovies, oregano and pieces of typical Sicilian cheese – which will stop in Bagheria and Cefalù.

From the ‘water ways’ to Mozia, Favignana, Lipari and Salina, passing through Aci Castello, Gole dell’Alcantara and Capo d’Orlando, there are 87 Sicilian municipalities that from spring to winter will be crossed by historic diesel locomotives or electric and railcars: sounds and noises re-emerged from the past, to bring the curious to the discovery of territories, villages, castles, places of art and archeology, parks and nature reserves.

The initiative, which registered over 10 thousand presences last year, is part of the ‘Historic trains of taste 2019’ project, created by the Sicilian Region in collaboration with the Fondazione Ferrovie dello Stato, which made the means available, and Slow Food Sicily, which has flanked the itineraries with ‘taste workshops’. Trains will also stop in territories that are sometimes completely isolated; and it is also to counteract the abandonment of entire areas of Sicily that local communities are entrusted with the task of participating in the project, making agricultural and food products on the verge of extinction valued at each station.

The realization of the project was possible last year, thanks to a funding of 209.440 euros of FESR 2014/2020 funds in favor of the Fs Italian Foundation, while for this year the amount of expenditure foreseen is approximately 850,000 euros.

‘We want to promote slow tourism – explains Saro Gugliotta, spokesman for Slow Food Sicily – and to introduce lesser known territories through the narration of their agricultural products and their food, representative of the millenary Sicilian food and wine tradition. A conscious tourism is the key to favor the development of inland mountain and rural areas, thus supporting an economy based mainly on the production of small-scale agricultural products, incapable of spreading in the large-scale retail trade: an example for all are the small realities of mountain production, which make their own products in conditions of greater difficulty, and therefore cannot be competitive on prices ‘.

The idea of ​​combining the tourism of places with that of taste is not new. But the most isolated and difficult to reach realities often remain excluded. Yet for this very reason they are among the most fascinating. Hence the project, aimed at tourists who are increasingly aware and attentive to the values ​​of the ecosystem and the small economy, who will have direct knowledge of both places and production methods, often complex and revealing of cultures and traditions that are now being lost .

The project is implemented with the contribution of the European Commission. The authors of the articles are the originators of the editorial contents. The Commission cannot be held responsible for any use made of the information and opinions reported.

https://www.repubblica.it/dossier/esteri/fondi-strutturali-europei-progetti-italia/2019/04/15/news/al_via_i_treni_storici_del_gusto_in_sicilia-224063080/?fbclid=IwAR2OcyEI4SH1BDDpVsU0Fvzh5wGbW8q8Q8qtdSej05ESHL_4rXKiuYvGA8g

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Rediscover Sicily starting from food: the historic taste trains begin

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