Agenzia di Pollenzo - Pollenzo Agency -

The Agency is a neo-gothic complex, the building of which started in 1833.

The complex has a large “courtyard” structure, an architectonic element deriving from the “curtis” which was typical in the Middle Ages.

In 1842, King Charles Albert promoted the creation the “Associazione Agraria Subalpina” (Agricultural Association) having the goal of promoting agriculture and related activities.

Pollenzo Agency, which had all the characteristics one would expect of an experimental research centre, was opened to the public during the First General Meeting of the Associazione Agraria, which took place in October 1843.

On that occasion, scientists attending the meeting studied economical and managerial aspects as well as issues relating to technology, production and social matters, which the Agency would set as its own goals.

At the end of 1997 a project originated by Slow Food, the international association based in Bra, only a few minutes away from Pollenzo, gave the inspiration to recover Pollenzo Agency and turn it into an international focal point for material culture. The idea was to create a place which could be home to oeno-gastronomy as a science, as a business and as a pleasant hobby.

Banca del Vino – Wine Bank

The Wine Bank was born to create an archive of the best wine production and to promote and spread wine culture in Italy.

In the XIX century cellars of the large albertine complex, the best national labels, as selected by a committee of experts based on rigorous qualitative criteria, are stored.

A group of 300 important oenologic labels, which new emerging names will have the opportunity to join in the future, are involved. They provide an accurate representation of all the main Italian viticulture areas, from Piedmont with its renowned red wines to Tuscany with sangiovese and supertuscan, from Veneto to Sicily, from Campania to Friuli.

The bottles selected have been arranged so as to recreate an ideal invitation to travelling through quality drinking in Italy: visitors and producers may see before their eyes Italy as one massive vineyard, the story of which is told in 5 languages (audio guides are available) and described on the website available for consultation at the entrance of the cellar.

On top of that, wine lovers will have the opportunity to book batches of the wine by which they have been conquered, as long as they commit to leave the bottles with the bank for a predetermined period.

University of Gastronomic Sciences

The University of Gastronomic Sciences, the first university in the world wholly dedicated to food culture, is promoted by Slow Food with the cooperation of regions Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont.

Their goal is creating an International education and research centre, intended for serving those who operate for a renovated agriculture, for the maintenance of biodiversity, and for an organic relationship between gastronomy and agricultural sciences.

The operative structure was born on 27 January, 2003, when the University Committee was instituted. Following the termination of the activity of the Committee, on 25 September 2003 the Association of the Friends of the University of Gastronomic Sciences was created.

The association nominated professor Alberto Capatti Coordinator for all didactic and scientific aspects.

The University of Gastronomic Sciences is a private university, modeled after other prestigious Italian universities, and it manages its didactic activities with the support of an independent non-profit association (Association of the Friends of the University of Gastronomic Sciences), which deals with organizational and economic aspects.