Italy says goodbye to Gualtiero Marchesi, probably the most famous Italian chef in the world. He disappeared on Tuesday at his home in Milan, around 18 pm, at the age of 87.
Owner of the "Il Marchesino" restaurant, the doyen of Italian chefs had received numerous awards and honours. Last October he had left the rectorate of Alma, the International School of Italian Cuisine where the profession of cook and pastry chef is taught.
The first Italian chef to receive three Michelin stars, he was also the first in the world to give them back, claiming he wanted to receive judgements, not marks. Proponent of "total cuisine", where every element - from the service to the tablecloth - contributes to the gastronomic experience, Marchesi is considered the man who, in the 70s, imported the concept of haute cuisine into Italy, profoundly innovating the national culinary tradition .
Among his many students, also the well-known chef Carlo Cracco, who greeted his teacher on Twitter.
Hi Master. And thanks. pic.twitter.com/RgoD5flXyq
— Carlo Cracco (@craccocarlo) 26 December 2017
Son of art, Milanese DOC, his parents ran the restaurant of the hotel "Mercato". From 48 to 50 he attended the hotel management school in Lucerne, Switzerland, but what changed his life (and ours) was the training period he spent in France in the 70s, where he learned the fundamentals of Nouvelle Cuisine, teachings which he will apply on his return to his homeland, opening his own restaurant in 1977. Two years later he had already scored two stars. The third came in '86.
On March 19, the day of his birth, the film about his life will be presented: "Gualtiero Marchesi: The Great Italian". Here is the trailer.
“Goodbye Gualtiero, incomparable master of skill and style. You have been able to take Italian cuisine to unexplored peaks without ever losing the roots of your Milan. Lombardy and Italy are forever grateful to you. RIP”. The President of the Lombardy Region, Roberto Maroni, writes it on his Facebook profile, remembering the famous chef who passed away today in Milan.
“We greet with deep emotion Gualtiero Marchesi, master of the kitchen and father of Italian gastronomic culture. A long career and the desire to never give up – said the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala – above all, his willingness to teach the many young chefs who have passed through his restaurants – he concluded -. Milan owes him a lot."
