Quintana Foligno: the so called ‘ Convivi’ competition, a historical performance of tastes and situations

The heavy wooden door of Giotti Rione has been ‘opened’ on 1600. The Quintana Foligno is not a collective madness. It is cultural’ identity, private passion, socialization, leisure: this Quintana went on stage at Rione Giotti, with a food competition, the traditional “competition of the Convivi”, and its punctual historical re-enacting of images, tastes, situations. Not the thrilling tournaments but drunk people acting monologues, arguments and the low light of torches and candles. One of the most famous cook of the city cooked on this occasion. On the wooden balconies crock glasses and dishes. The baroque stupor on the nobles’ table: the president of the Ente Giostra, Domenico Metelli, and the mother lady Federica Moro, the jury with the architect Luciano Piermarini as President and Alviero Bigi (food-researcher and historic) and Marco Servili, President of the AIS section (the Italian association for sommeliers) from Assisi. The Rione Ammaniti was chosen by the artistic commission to start the wine-gastronomic challenge of the Gareggiare of the Convivi, the XXXIV gastronomic concourse of the Rioni organized by the Ente Giostra, and based for this edition on the theme of filled pasta. Afterwards the Giotti was on the way, and then there have been all the 10 Rioni of the town, which have had to prepare dishes made of the typical products from Umbria, with the wines and extra virgin oils from Umbria as well. According to the rules the so called dish-competition has to be made up of a complete menu (which is not evaluated) and everything must be prepared with ingredients known in 1600.