Gelato Stories

Salvatore Farina, essayist, cultural researcher and photographer, has devoted a significant part of his work to the study and promotion of the pastry, gelato and food culture of Sicily. He is the author of numerous books, including Dolcezze di Sicilia. Arte, cultura, storia e tradizioni dei dolci e della pasticceria siciliana, also published in English as Sweet Sensations of Sicily and winner in 2010 of the “Orio Vergani” Prize of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina. He writes for the magazines Pasticceria Internazionale and TuttoGelato published by Chiriotti Editori. He is president of the cultural associations “Duciezio” and “Rosario Assunto”.

Luciana Polliotti, journalist, populariser and museum curator, has devoted her life to the study, promotion and protection of Italian artisanal gelato as gastronomic, cultural and identity heritage. In 1985 she founded the professional magazine Gelato artigianale, whose cultural and artistic slant caused considerable interest and stir in the sector. In 2001, with a small group of visionaries, she founded the Gelato World Cup to make the Italian school of gelato and its whole supply chain known internationally. In 2012 she inaugurated the Carpigiani Gelato Museum, the first museum in the world entirely devoted to gelato, designing and curating its historical itinerary. Her awards include the Comunicando prize 2012 as Ambassador of Communication, the Ad Honorem prize as Ambassador of gelato in the world from the Italian Gelato Makers' Union, and the AFADHYA prize (Argentina, 2023) from the Argentine artisanal gelato producers' association, 'for her tireless work in defence and dissemination of artisanal gelato in the world'. Her main books: Gelati, gelati (Mondadori, 1999, foreword by Dacia Maraini, 1st World Cookbook Award, Versailles 1999); Le meraviglie del gelato (Mondadori, 1999); 100 anni di gelato artigianale italiano (Editrade, 2009, with English text); Segreti e virtù del gelato artigianale di tradizione italiana and I pochi segreti e le molte virtù, with Luca Caviezel (Longarone, 2009 and 2010); Il genio del gelato. Francesco Procopio Cutò (Fausto Lupetti, 2017), a narrative biography of the Sicilian pioneer of modern gelato and founder of the Café Procope in Paris; Fusione inversa (2016) and its English edition Reverse Fusion – For a (Delicious) Gelato Style (2017), with Pierpaolo and Riccardo Magni.

Alberto Zezza, a Neapolitan transplanted to Rome, after a long career as an economist in the world of international organisations decided in 2024 to open Zelato in the San Lorenzo district, inspired by the idea of helping to improve the city through concrete choices. The gelateria was created to combine the knowledge he built up in the field of sustainability with the craft of gelato, bringing together product quality, environmental responsibility and attention to social impact. Zelato is one of the first small Italian artisan gelaterias set up as a Società Benefit (benefit corporation): from the very start, work in the workshop has been guided by common-benefit goals, from the use of energy from renewable sources to the reduction of plastic, favouring social cooperatives and suppliers who share similar ethical values. At the counter, traditional flavours made with quality raw ingredients sit alongside more innovative creations, often marked by spices, herbs and unusual pairings, always keeping a recognisable style.

A journalist specializing in travel and culture, he has held positions as Editor-in-Chief (Lonely Planet Magazine Italia, Marcopolo TV) and Head of Content (turismo.it, X2TV), alongside his work as an author (Lonely Planet, Polaris) and documentary filmmaker (Rai, Sky). He has produced features and reports for dozens of publications—both specialized and general-interest, Italian and international—earning numerous awards and recognitions. He also collaborates with various organizations in the travel industry, including tour operators, research institutions, and agencies, serving as a content provider, trainer, and advisor.