Politicians and families attend Sunday lunch against backdrop of Colosseum as Italy seeks UNESCO recognition for Italian cuisine.
Italy’s premier Giorgia Meloni joined an open-air lunch in the Roman Forum on Sunday as part of a bid for Italian cuisine to be added to the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.
The candidature, which underlines the close links between Italian food, culture and lifestyle, is the result of a joint proposal from the ministries of culture and agriculture.
Meloni was joined at the Sunday lunch in the Temple of Venus and Roma by culture minister Alessandro Giuli, agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida, and Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri, together with families.
In a statement, Giuli described the event as “a moment of encounter and conviviality among citizens around traditional Italian dishes to support the nomination of our cuisine for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.”
1/3 Oggi al Colosseo per “Il pranzo della domenica – Italiani a tavola”.
Un momento di incontro e convivialità intorno ai piatti della tradizione italiana, per sostenere la candidatura della nostra cucina a patrimonio immateriale dell’UNESCO. pic.twitter.com/mKYmxjCnBl
— Alessandro Giuli (@AlessGiuli) September 21, 2025
Meloni, who appeared on the Domenica In television programme during the lunch, stated: “Italian cuisine is one of the most extraordinary things we have, expressing our culture, our identity, our tradition, but also our strength.”
Meloni’s live appearance on state television sparked criticism from opposition centre-left PD leader Elly Schlein who described it as “a huge commercial for Tele-Meloni” and accused the premier of finding time to discuss the “lunches and pastries she prefers to eat on Sundays”… “while Canada, the UK and Australia announce their recognition of the State of Palestine.”
Launched in 2023, Italy’s bid for Italian cuisine recognition is currently in the evaluation process, with a decision expected from UNESCO by the end of this year.
