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Variations on the citrus theme
22.04.2024
On April 22, 2024, Villa Medici director Sam Stourdzé invites two-starred chef Alexandre Gauthier (La Grenouillère, Pas-de-Calais) and part of his brigade to Rome to cook with Arturo Franzino, chef in residence at Villa Medici. A tasting of compositions on the theme of citrus fruit will be offered to the public, followed by a visit to the apartment of Cardinal Ferdinand de Médicis, where Manet’s Le Citron (1880) is on display, on exceptional loan from the Musée d’Orsay to mark the 150th anniversary of Impressionism. The public will also be treated to a performance by Neapolitan singer Enzo “Tammuriello” Esposito, invited by boarders Hélène Bertin and Julien Colardelle. Enzo is a member of the femminielli, a historic community in the working-class districts of Naples that brings together transgender, transvestite and homosexual people who assume so-called feminine characteristics with panache. On the occasion of this day, he will propose a fronna ‘e limone, a melismatic agricultural song that resounds from one end of an orchard to the other. The 7-hectare gardens of Villa Medici now boast over 300 citrus trees, including bigaradiers, lemons and citrons. More will join the gardens in the coming months, selected with the best citrus growers committed to Villa Medici’s citrus revival project, from garden to plate!
Citrus tasting at Villa Medici
Citrus tasting at Villa Medici
Installation by artist Hélène Bertin for the Nuit Blanche on November 23, 2023
As part of the national event ” 150 Years of Impressionism “, the lemon is honored at Villa Médicis thanks to the exceptional loan from the Musée d’Orsay of the work Le Citron painted by Édouard Manet in 1880, exhibited for three months in the historic rooms of the Cardinal de Médicis.
Despite its modest size (14 x 22 cm), the iconic citrus fruit of the Mediterranean landscape is one of the powerful still lifes by the painter who claimed to want to be the “French saint of the still life”.
Alexandre Gauthier
At the age of 45, Alexandre Gauthier occupies a special place on the French culinary scene. For more than 20 years, Alexandre has been pursuing a free-spirited path, outside the box and outside the box. For him, cooking is a mode of expression, a formal search, a diligent look at what surrounds and moves him. Rooted in a territory, respectful of French savoir-faire, it is no less free or autonomous. Gauthier’s style is a cut above the rest, made up of cutting-edge techniques, angled glances, perfect gestures, carefully chosen dishes and words. In the end, the experience is total, disconcerting enough to make a lasting impression. Little by little, the restaurant La Grenouillère has been transformed into a place in its own right, welcoming and theatrical, embodying an art of living...
Enzo Espositio
He is a dancer, musician, theater actor and performer of villanelles and folk songs. A graduate of the Naples Academy of Fine Arts, his interest in popular culture and tradition began at an early age, first in dance and then in music. He has collaborated and continues to collaborate with the most important artists on the Campania folk music scene.
Arturo Franzino
Arturo Franzino, born in 1997, is a chef. His adolescence in Sicily, spent criss-crossing the roads in search of the best local producers for his parents’ grocery store, formed the basis of his future projects. This was followed by a year in Ecuador, then classical training at the Institut Paul Bocuse and haute gastronomy. Arturo Franzino also discovered cooking in Japan, with Luca Fantin, where the purity of raw materials and the quest for fulfillment were combined. Scandinavia, beautiful and cold, and the Alpilles region, where he worked for Fabien Dumont, an organic market gardener, marked his experience as a chef. Fascinated by gestures and craftsmanship, Arturo Franzino strives to nourish while respecting life and death.
Practical information
Monday, April 22 Tastings, tours, performances Historic apartments and gardens of the Villa Medici 5pm – 7pm €10 / €7 ( SOLO, DUO, TRIBU cards)
Invitation by two-starred chef Alexandre Gauthier
This event is organized by the Académie de France à Rome – Villa Médicis, chefs Alexandre Gauthier and Arturo Franzino, and with the support of The Small Group.
In partnership with
Patrons of the Villa Médicis citrus fruit program:
Event sponsors
FRANK CORNELISSEN
LESSI
CHINATO VERGANO
