`
Roughly 100 participating authors gathered in Rome for the fourth edition of the Ranieri Filo della Torre literary prize, more than double the attendance of the previous year.
The extra virgin olive oil literary competition, which is promoted by the Italian association of women professionals in the olive oil sector, Pandolea, was open to authors of poems, short stories and scientific papers.
It was a great day which marked the beginning of a new exciting adventure.
Both undergraduate and graduate students submitted work inspired by and celebrating the memory of Filo della Torre, who was passionate about art and culture and whose dedication and passion have contributed to the enhancement of Italian olive growing.
The event and the related projects aim to underline the strong link between olive oil and culture, promoting knowledge and development, which are core beliefs of Pandolea.
See Also:Olive Oil Fairs and CompetitionsDuring the ceremony, which took place at the Italian Agricultural Confederation headquarters in Rome, awards were handed out to the winners of the literary and scientific sections, while some of the works were read aloud.
Attended by several prominent figures in the industry, the ceremony also served as the occasion to launch the Mediterranean Olive Oil Women’s Network, which had been announced the previous year.
The project – a result of the collaboration between Greek and Italian agricultural officials – was made official with the signing a protocol of understanding between Loriana Abbruzzetti, president of Pandolea, and Giorgios Papanastasious, the mayor of Agrinio, Greece, in the presence of a Greek delegation.
“It was a great day which marked the beginning of a new exciting adventure,” Abbruzzetti told Olive Oil Times. “The Mediterranean Olive Oil Women’s Network, which is supported by the International Olive Council, was created with the aim to promote female entrepreneurship and the culture of high quality.”
The intent is to create synergy between different organizations and governments, with the aim of promoting women in olive oil and food education among children, in particular regarding the Mediterranean diet and the healthy characteristics of extra virgin olive oil.
“The network is open to women, associations, and institutions which share our goals,” Abbruzzetti said.
The winners of the Ranieri Filo della Torre international literary prize are:
Science: Doctoral thesis: Elisa Pannucci, “Novel applications of plant-derived polyphenolic compounds.”
Master’s thesis: Giulia Vicario, “Near UV-Vis and NMR spectroscopic analysis of Tuscan extra-virgin olive oils.”
Bachelor’s thesis: Maddalena Lo Gatto, “Qualitative/quantitative analysis of Hydroxytyrosol Oleate in oil matrices” and Irene Raggi, “Rapid evaluation of extra virgin olive oil using PTR-ToF-MS technology: the case of the municipality of Calenzano.”
Poetry: Bruno Fiorentini, “L’Olivo” (The olive tree).
Fiction: Antonio Moresi, “Olio e vita” (Oil and life).
Entries for the fifth edition of the Ranieri Filo della Torre competition will open in May.