Luigi "Gino" Veronelli Dies – The Italian Enogastronomic World is Mourning
Staff Writer - November 30, 2004
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Luigi "Gino" Veronelli |
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The news of Luigi Veronelli's death, hurts and brings sadness to our hearts. He died at 78, on Monday, November 29, 2004.
He suffered from a tumor to the liver and had been affected by glaucoma for some time. Wednesday morning, December 1st, fans, admirers and colleagues gathered at Bergamo cemetery to say their goodbyes to the very first writer who spoke to and awakened, the Italian enogastronomic consciousness.
With Luigi Veronelli, Gino to colleagues and friends, the Italian enogastronomy world loses an important point of reference, especially for those among us who write about food and wine for a living. All of us, to a certain degree, have referred to, or reflected upon Gino's ideas and writings at one time or another.
On November 9, just 20 days before he was to disappear, Luigi sent the following e-mail:
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Dear Friend,
Today I'm leaving the Bergamo Hospital, after a long, painful stay where I mostly felt more dead then alive.
The recovery seems to proceed faster than I expected, so much so that I'm counting on being present at the Hotel Parco dei Principi in Rome, on Monday, November 22nd, at 4PM, for the presentation of my three new Guide Oro (Golden Guides) 2005 for Wines, Restaurants and Hotels.
This year, by the way, the new books for the "I Semi" publication line are truly important to me. They'll be presented to the press at 6:30PM, on November 23rd, at the libreria Feltrinelli (Feltrinelli Bookstore) on Largo Torre Argentina, in Rome.
I want to express my hearthfelt gratitiude to those who worked with commitment, continuity and in many cases, with abnegation for the well being of the Earth, on three of these e new books. They are dedicated to Ave Ninchi, Pina Amarelli, and Franco Biondi Santi. This is one more reason why I look forward to participating in the event.
Finally, I want to thank all of you who sent me good thoughts and wishes while I was at the hospital. I'm convinced that your messages contributed to helping me provide my continuous backing to the Denominazione Comunale (De.Co., or Municipal Denomination forTtypical Products), peasants' and artisans' self certification, the initiative of Prezzo Sorgente (Initial Price), and, of course, all the native vine varieties and the olive oil (that is finally being treated as a serious product).
Hugs to you and those you love.
Luigi Veronelli
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