The sound of bagpipes rang out over the south side of Turin, Italy on Thursday as a citizens collective held a Scottish lunch to celebrate the birth of the city’s first native Highland cow.
The capital of Piedmont is primarily known for its baroque architecture, Juventus football club, and FIAT cars, and it’s in the home of the automobile giant that Orti Generali began life.
The carmaker’s headquarters occupy an area of two million square metres in Turin’s Mirafiori district. The huge complex surrounded by streets named for giants of the industry: Carlo Abarth, engine-maker Ariste Faccioli and, of course, FIAT founder Giovanni Agnelli. It has 20 kilometres of railway lines and 11 kilometres of underground roads that connecting the various warehouses, and currently produces the FIAT 500e as well as three Maserati brands. Hope in one and head just eight minutes down the road, and you’ll find a trio of highland cows grazing on former wasteland.
Orti Generali took over what had been abandoned land, strewn with litter and debris and transformed it into a citizen-led garden project made up of 160 vegetable gardens, cultivated by the local community, a kiosk selling vegetarian and vegan products grown on the land, and a farm.
Highland cows are well-adapted to cold and foggy Piedmontese winters, and their ability to graze on grass and weeds helps keep the small park in order.
“They become a public resource,” explains Stefano Olivari, founder of Orti Generali. “The grazing animals carry out by themselves and by their nature what would be an expensive public service.”
Having purchased two of the breed in September, Turin’s first native Highland coo was born on November 28, with the organisation throwing a Scottish-themed lunch to celebrate the new arrival on Thursday – as well as bestow a name upon him.
The public were asked to choose between Gino, in honour of Turin-born First World War hero Gino Lisa, Scottino to evoke Scotland and, of course, William after William Wallace.
Respondents went with Gino, as was revealed at the Scottish lunch held in the small park by the Sangone river.
Dubbed ‘A Scottish Welcome’ the event saw Orti Generali staff don kilts and make Highland cow themed cakes for the occasion, which kicked off with a bagpiper to welcome the guests.
A Caledonian-themed lunch menu followed, with a vegan burger made of rumbledethumps, ‘Scottish-style’ potatoes, a tiramisu made with whisky instead of Amaretto, and Scottish beer.
Things wrapped up with traditional Highland dancing thanks to local group Clivis Torino, which has been operating in Turin for the past 30 years.
Francesco Tresso, green spaces councillor the city of Turin, said: “Things like Orti Generali represent for the city an example of virtuous planning, which permit us to maintain and explore new forms of urban agriculture in a renewed vision of the city fabric in context of the fact that by 2050, cities will house 70 per cent of the world’s population.
“Forms of eco-pasture are already present in other green areas of the city and the birth of the new calf is a great sign that we can consolidate this direction.”
Read more:
Highland cow fetches world record price Down Under as demand soars
Highland cows: The big hairy beastie that’s good for the land and makes fine photies too
'A hidden oasis': Scotland’s most beautiful garden of the year revealed
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