On the occasion of Made in Italy Day, the Embassy of Italy in Wellington organised, on 30 April, an event dedicated to one of the most iconic expressions of Italian culture and tradition: coffee. Hosted at Mediterranean Foods, the initiative offered participants a comprehensive and engaging journey through the history, evolution, and cultural significance of coffee in Italy as well as through the evolution of coffee machines design and technology.
Throughout the evening, guests were invited to explore a curated display of vintage coffee makers, kindly loaned for the occasion by Professor Davide Comoletti, exemplifying the ingenuity and excellence of Italian industrial design. The display also included a tricolour Bialetti moka pot, donated by Ms and Mr Townend (Peter Gower NZ Ltd), as a representation of Italy’s domestic coffee tradition. The event further offered an opportunity to reflect on coffee not merely as a beverage, but as a daily ritual deeply embedded in Italy’s social fabric and cultural identity.
The event was opened by remarks from H.E. Ambassador Cristiano Maggipinto, who emphasised the importance of Made in Italy as a hallmark of quality, creativity, and cultural heritage recognised worldwide, highlighting also the presence in the country of historic brands in the sector, such as La Marzocco, Gaggia, Bialetti and others. This was followed by contributions from Prof. Davide Comoletti, Associate Professor in Biomedical Science at Victoria University; Chris Moller, architect, urbanist, and host of Grand Designs New Zealand; Dr Paola Tiné, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Anthropology at Victoria University; and Dr Marcella Zanetti, translator and translation reviser, as well as Italian language tutor. The speakers offered multidisciplinary perspectives, examining the cultural, social, and scientific dimensions of coffee.
