Italian-Brazilian restaurateur Massimo Ferrari, one of the leading names in Italian gastronomy in Brazil, was awarded the Commendatore Medal of the Order of Merit by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella.
The honour was presented by the Consul General in São Paulo, Domenico Fornara, during the inauguration of the 13th Italian Regional Cuisine Week, the main event dedicated to tricolour cuisine in Brazil.
Ferrari is in charge of the Felice e Maria restaurant (named after his parents), which delighted Mattarella during his official trip to Brazil last July.
'The President was so enthusiastic that, on leaving the restaurant, he decided to honour this wonderful place and Ferrari's friendliness. Never has a choice been so fair and correct,' Fornara said in presenting the award.
Born in Premosello-Chiovenda, Piedmont, the restaurateur arrived in Brazil in 1947, at the age of five, and became one of the most important names on the São Paulo gastronomic scene, first with the Massimo restaurant, active from 1976 to 2013, and then with Felice and Maria. 'It is a very important award because it reflects the work of a family that came here, conquered its space, put down roots, without ever ceasing to love Italy,' Ferrari told ANSA, adding that he felt 'honoured' to receive Mattarella: 'He is an incredible person, a unique human being, who talks to you, appreciates what you do. It was an incomparable experience'.
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