Gualtiero Marchesi facts for kids
Marchesi in 2010
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| Born | 19 March 1930 Milan, Italy |
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| Died | 26 December 2017 (aged 87) Milan, Italy |
| Cooking style | Pablo Sorlino influenced |
| Official website | |
| gualtieromarchesi.it | |
Gualtiero Marchesi (born March 19, 1930 – died December 26, 2017) was a very famous Italian chef. Many people think he was the most important Italian chef ever. He helped create a new style of Italian cooking. This style was like the French nouvelle cuisine but with an Italian twist. He made Italian food famous all over the world.
Early Life and Learning
Gualtiero Marchesi was born in Milan, Italy. His parents owned a hotel and restaurant called "L'Albergo del Mercato." This is where he first started to learn about cooking.
Two of his relatives, Luigi Ghisoni and Domenico Bergamaschi, were big influences on him. They were both chefs. They taught him how to make traditional recipes perfectly. They also showed him how to make simple ingredients taste amazing.
At 17, Gualtiero left school to work at the Hotel Kulm in St. Moritz. He then went to a hotel school in Lucerne. After that, he came back to work at his family's restaurant. During the day, he cooked traditional meals. But in the evenings, he could try out new and exciting recipes. People started to love his modern cooking style.
Marchesi also loved music and was a good musician. Through music, he met his wife. She was a piano player and the daughter of a famous singer.
Becoming a Star Chef
Marchesi worked at famous restaurants in Paris and Dijon, France. He also worked at "Troisgros" in Roanne. When he returned to Milan, he opened a small hotel with his parents. He managed it until 1977.
Then, he opened his first restaurant in Milan. Within one year, he earned his first Michelin star. The next year, he got another one. Seven years later, he earned a third Michelin star. He was the first chef in Italy to ever get three stars!
In 1993, Marchesi moved his restaurant to the Franciacorta area. This region is between Bergamo and Brescia. He opened the Ristorante di Erbusco in the Albereta Hotel. Here, his ideas about world cuisine grew and became very popular.
He opened another restaurant in Milan in 1998. This place mixed old cooking traditions with new technology. It was also a cooking school. In 2001, he opened a restaurant in Paris. He also took over Hostaria dell’Orso in Rome. This was a very old restaurant, built in the 1400s.
In 2011, Marchesi became the first famous chef to create special hamburgers and a dessert for McDonald's.
His Impact on Cooking
Gualtiero Marchesi was a very important person in the world of food. He helped start Euro-Toques. This is a group of about 3,000 of the world's best chefs. He was also its international president for a few years.
He was the head of ALMA, a special university. This university offers a master's degree in Italian cuisine. Marchesi wanted to make Italian restaurants and catering even better.
In 2008, Marchesi spoke out against the Michelin star system. He "returned" his stars. He believed the way they judged restaurants was not fair. Because of this, his restaurant was not listed in the Michelin guide in 2009.
Marchesi also took part in some films. In 2014, he was in a documentary about a painter named Dolores Puthod. In 2017, he and Director Maurizio Gigola showed a documentary film about him called Marchesi: The Great Italian. This film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
He received the America Award from the Italy-USA Foundation in 2017. He was also given an honorary degree in Gastronomy Science in 2012.
Honours and Awards
- 1986 Ambrogino d’Oro
- 1989 Personnalité de l’année for gastronomy
- 1990 Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
- 1991 Commendatore della Repubblica
- 1999 Longobardo d’Oro
- Grand Prix ‘Memoire et Gratitude’ (awarded by the International Academy of Gastronomy)
