Unibo and "La Scienza in Piazza"

Food will be the guiding theme of the new edition of "La Scienza in Piazza", scheduled from 28 March to 13 April 2014. Designed to disseminate scientific culture, the event promoted by the Marino Golinelli Foundation, in liaison with Bologna Town Hall and under the aegis of Bologna University (amongst others), will spotlight the whole of Bologna. For 17 days the city centre will be turned into one large Science Centre appealing to a public of all ages.

Bologna University prides itself on its agrofood expertise (fourth place in Europe in terms of European funding), and will be taking part with laboratories, exhibitions and lectures. The inaugural event scheduled for Friday 28^th March is “Beyond EXPO 2015 scientific research and food sovereignty”. On the challenges and opportunities for innovation held by EXPO the pro-rector for research will be conversing with Claudia Sorlini, president of the Scientific Committee for EXPO 2015, and various members of University teaching staff.

The University will be running exhibitions and laboratories in the ceremonial courtyard of Palazzo d’Accursio. "What’s new on my menu? Check it out on the vegetable ID card" will explain how new varieties of vegetable are obtained and some of the resources of the Department of Agricultural Science will be on display. "I LOVE HORTILLA. Kitchen garden in a bottle" is a practical laboratory where a mini water-culture will be set up from waste materials – an opportunity to discuss sustainability and social participation.

A range of activities will also be put on by the Palazzo Poggi Museum and other university museums, with support from teaching rooms. The programme kicks off on April 5^th with the Botanical Garden ("From the tropics to Europe: the adventure stories of tea, coffee and cocoa") followed on 12th April by: "Food for peoples, food for peace": a route from Palazzo Poggi to the Botanical Garden will outline features of cultural inter-disciplinarity and balanced sustainable trade.

"Triple Museum inquiry" is a fun/Scientific ramble starting from the Cappellini Museum and drawing on teachers from the Museums of Palaeontology, Zoology and Anthropology to explore foodstuffs from fossil slides. "Local Veg " is a sideshow homing in on nutritional plants from the region’s hills.
There will also be meetings and book presentations. Bologna University teaching staff will be guiding the public through vertical kitchen gardens and menus from ancient Rome, mathematics in the kitchen, and war on wasted food. "Still life: beautiful to eat, good to see" on 30^th March will take the form of a conversation on food and fashion, roping in history, art, science and technology; while on April 5^th “Gourmand filmreels” will be a trip for the visitor into cinema and gastronomy. 9^th April will be time to relax on the DiWine Divan”, as the history of wine unfolds in terms of production, science and aesthetic experience.

On showing their badge, University employees are entitled to a €1 discount on each day’s entry tickets for adults and children, up to 2 per day.