DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇹 Italy /Culture & Society

Giorgia Meloni to visit Vercelli rice festival as an ordinary member of the public

From Corriere della Sera · () Italian

Translated from Italian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is expected at Vercelli’s Risò festival on September 11, where she will attend the opening with Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida.
  • Meloni has asked to visit the festival village as an ordinary citizen and is expected to meet producers and trade associations.
  • The September 11-13 event will showcase Italian rice, with 30 ambassadors and senior Food and Agriculture Organization representatives also expected.

Giorgia Meloni will attend Vercelli’s Risò rice festival as a visitor, “like all the citizens” entering the event’s village, according to the president of the province.

The prime minister is expected to cut the ribbon on September 11 alongside Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida. Davide Gilardino, the Fratelli d’Italia president of Vercelli province, said Meloni would also meet companies in the producers’ pavilion and sector associations as the rice industry faces a difficult period.

But inside the festival village, Meloni has requested a different role. Gilardino said she wanted to enter as an ordinary citizen, allowing other visitors to tour the event as well. The second edition of Risò runs from September 11 to 13 and places Vercelli and Italian rice at the center of national and international attention.

Like all the citizens who will cross the threshold of Piazza Antico Ospedale and enter the Village.

· Giorgia MeloniMeloni’s requested role at the festival was described as that of an ordinary visitor.

This year’s setting in front of the Basilica of Sant’Andrea will replace the rice fields used last year with a single scene representing the area’s identity. It will feature an Arborio rice field, the Cavour Canal and rice weeders, marking three important anniversaries celebrated this year.

Organizers also expect 30 ambassadors from around the world and senior FAO representatives. The festival presents rice as a flagship Italian agri-food product, as well as a shared cultural identity and a destination tied to the region’s farming tradition. Piedmont grows about 114,000 hectares of rice, including 71,000 hectares in Vercelli province.

The festival village will occupy 18,000 square metres in Piazza Antico Ospedale. It will be free and open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with dining available until midnight. Its three pavilions will cover institutions and the supply chain, producers, and food. Talks and conferences in the Salone Dugentesco will address sustainability, climate change, technological innovation and the future of rice farming.

The visit inside the Village will be as an ordinary citizen, as she expressly requested, also to allow other people to make their visit.

· Davide GilardinoThe president of Vercelli province explained how Meloni would attend the public festival area.
About this summary

Originally published by Corriere della Sera in Italian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog