Fellow foodies of the world, listen up!  This fall, Eataly will unveil its newest masterpiece- a massive food oriented park near Bologna, Italy.

FICO Eataly World is multi-faceted culinary park, with dozens of markets and restaurants, workshops and cooking classes, culinary related events and conventions, and even agricultural demo fields and breeding farms for livestock.  F.I.CO. stands for “Fabbricca Italiana Contadina,” which can be roughly translated to "Italian Farming Factory.”  Some have dubbed the massive 20 acre complex the “Disneyland of food.”

For some, Eataly has become a household name. The first Eataly was opened in Turin, Italy in January 2007, when businessman Oscar Farinetto converted a closed vermouth factory into the world’s largest Italian food marketplace.  The 50,000 square foot Eataly New York opened its doors in 2010, with additional stores opening in Tokyo, Chicago, Boston, Rome, Genova, Osaka, Dubai, Seoul, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Munich, and Sao Paolo.  The Las Vegas location is set to open in 2018, with plans to continue expanding around the world in cities including Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Sydney, Moscow and Brussels.

Education and biodiversity are key to the FICO project, with the park divided into different departments showcasing the regional variety of Italian food and wine.  From vegetables to fish, to cheese and wine, the park will highlight D.O.P. products from all over Italy.  D.O.P. or “Denominazione di Origine Protetta” (literally translated as “Protected Designation of Origin”), is a way to classify that food product is locally grown according to a strict set of standards.  In order for a product to receive a D.O.P. label, the entire process is strictly regulated- from using traditional farming methods, certain plots of land, production methods and even packaging.  It is similar to its wine counterpart D.O.C. or D.O.C.G, which puts similar regulations on Italian wine production.

FICO Eataly World will showcase DOP products from all over Italy, from Venice to Modena to Sicily, with educational demos, workshops, and of course a chance to sample the products.  The cheese department, for example, will demonstrate the production of Parmigiano Reggiano, with real copper cauldrons and aging shells.  Neighboring areas will demonstrate the production of cheeses from all over Italy, including Moazzarella di Bufala, Fontina, Grana Padano, Pecorino and so on.

The park is aimed at showcasing local and traditional foods from all over Italy, so visitors are able to experience Italy’s culinary treasures without having to travel to every corner of the country.  In addition, the park will host 40 workshops where visitors can witness home-grown, raw materials and the birth of food and wine products by top culinary craftsman; as well as 10 training classrooms devoted to the discovery of agri-food chains.

The 20-acre complex will create over 3,000 jobs and is expected to draw 6 million visitors a year.  More than 2,000 Italian companies will participate in various capacities, including 25 restaurants and 40 shops on site.  To navigate around the small village, 3 wheel Bianchi bikes will be available for patrons.  The complex is aimed to be environmentally friendly, and will be powered by the largest solar panel network in all of Europe.

In the words of the organization, “FICO Eataly World aims at becoming the reference venue for the dissemination of knowledge on Italian food and wines, the meeting place for all those who love food and wish to discover its secrets and traditions, on the lookout for information and unique experiences.”

Entrance to the park is free, and visitors can self select how to get involved. The complex is set to open in October of 2017, but the exact date has not yet been announced.  For more information, check out FICO’s homepage http://eatalyworld.it/en and stay tuned to the Italian Concierge for our top travel tips!