Aperitivo d'Autore con Walter Veltroni

At Aperitivo d’Autore, Walter Veltroni will be present. On June 17, the writer, journalist, director, and politician will talk about his new novel, Il bar di Cinecittà, published by HarperCollins Italia. The event will take place in a beautiful location, nestled in the tranquility of the countryside of Martina Franca: Masseria San Michele.

With this book, Veltroni affirms his ability to tell the grand story through normal yet special lives, as all human lives are. It is a significant historical and family novel, built in balance between meticulous historical reconstruction and literary invention. Ironical and poignant, sweet and bitter, it restores the magic, contradictions, and humanity of a unique place in the world, the factory of dreams known as Cinecittà. At Aperitivo d’Autore, the writer will be in conversation with journalist Vincenzo Parabita.

As is customary in the format of Volta la carta, the first part of the event will be dedicated to food and wine, with participants taking part in an excellent tasting curated by Le Vetrine del gusto (food) and Tenute Lu Spada (wine). It starts at 8 PM.

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Entrance with tickets exclusively in advance on the Postoriservato circuit at the following link https://bit.ly/4wSvn3n and at authorized sales points
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For more information: 380.4385348 - aperitivodautore@gmail.com


• THE AUTHOR •
Born in Rome in 1955, Walter Veltroni is an Italian writer, journalist, director, and politician. He has been the director of the newspaper l’Unità, Vice President of the Council, Minister of Culture, and Mayor of Rome. He has written several novels, including “La scoperta dell’alba” (2006), “Noi” (2009), “L’isola e le rose” (2012), “Ciao” (2015), “Quando” (2017), “La scelta” (2022), “La condanna” (2024), “Iris, la libertà” (2025), all published by Rizzoli, in addition to the recent “Il bar di Cinecittà” (2026, HarperCollins). With Solferino, he has published essays “Labirinto italiano” (2020), “Il caso Moro e la Prima Repubblica” (2021), and “Storie che parlano di noi” (2022), and with Feltrinelli “Tana libera tutti” (2021). For Marsilio, he is the author of a series of crime novels featuring the character Commissioner Buonvino. He is a director of films and documentaries, including “Quando” (2023), “Dallamericaruso - Il concerto perduto” (2023), “Fabrizio De André e Pfm. Il concerto ritrovato” (2020), “I bambini sanno” (2015), “Quando c’era Berlinguer” (2014). He collaborates with Corriere della Sera and La Gazzetta dello Sport.

• THE BOOK •
Giovanni Diotallevi is sixteen years old when his father gives him the big news. He has obtained an interview for him with a high-ranking official, a person of importance. If Giovanni can make a good impression, doors will open for him to the marvelous place that Mussolini wanted to build at the end of Tuscolana, a small metropolis destined to create films that will enchant the entire world. For him, there will be no general markets, unloading crates, and a broken back: he will be able to serve food and drinks to the greatest stars of the country, in that magical place that will be inaugurated in spring. It is still incomplete but already has a name that sounds like a promise: Cinecittà. On a cold morning in February 1937, Giovanni rides his bike, crosses the still-sleeping city, and passes through the grand columns of the city of cinema. He meets Franco Romoli, head of the bar, and for the first time, he goes behind the counter. There, he will become friends with Marcello Mastroianni and Fellini, grow up and age, start a family, and witness half a century pass: the war, the displaced persons accommodated right in Cinecittà, the reconstruction, and new prosperity. He will meet the great Italian and international stars during the years of "Hollywood on the Tiber," until television puts that extraordinary adventure into crisis. Walter Veltroni confirms his ability to tell the grand story through normal yet special lives, as all human lives are. Built in balance between meticulous historical reconstruction and literary invention, Il bar di Cinecittà is a great historical and family novel. Ironical and poignant, sweet and bitter, it restores the magic, contradictions, and humanity of a unique place in the world, the factory of dreams called Cinecittà.

• THE LOCATION •
Surrounded by the Apulian countryside, Masseria San Michele welcomes its guests in the Itria Valley, just a stone's throw from the town center of Martina Franca. Following the traces of an old, disused farmhouse, the idea to build the new structure emerged after careful conservative restoration. An attentive search for materials has allowed for maintaining the authenticity of the place as much as possible. The structure is located near the chapel of San Michele, a small church dating back to the late 17th century that was once a reference point for the farming community. Currently, the property comprises seven rooms furnished in rural chic style, a pool nestled in a welcoming garden, a spacious living room (the former barn) furnished with elements of local tradition and pieces of modern antiquity, an ancient courtyard that echoes the old meetings of the farmers in the yard, and an elegant patio under which to enjoy traditional flavors. The familial and tranquil atmosphere accompanies guests in a rare beauty experience. At Masseria San Michele, simplicity and warmth have been felt since the 1700s; it’s like being at home.

• THE WINES •
Tenute Lu Spada is a biological winery located in Brindisi, along the terminal stretch of the ancient Via Appia, where for centuries the Mediterranean, commerce, cultures, and civilizations have met. The vineyards stretch between the Adriatic Sea and Lake Cillarese, in a landscape of extraordinary natural and historical value, characterized by biodiversity, protected wetland areas, and evidence of ancient Brundisium. The company’s philosophy is based on organic cultivation and the enhancement of indigenous grape varieties from the Brindisi and Salento areas: Negroamaro, Susumaniello, and Malvasia Nera of Brindisi are at the heart of production, alongside Minutolo, Vermentino, and Primitivo. Some vineyards, like the historic over sixty-year-old bush-trained Negroamaro, testify to the deep bond between the winery and local agricultural tradition. The labels narrate the history and identity of the territory. The “Storia” line includes Masada, Philonianum, and Laenius, wines that evoke the ancient trade relations between Brindisi and the Mediterranean. The “Lago” line — featuring Nyroca, Tuffetto, Avocetta, and Moriglione — pays tribute to the migratory birds that populate the Cillarese oasis. The special labels Grigiombra and Fuoco Rosa instead arise from the meeting of wine, art, and contemporary creativity. But Tenute Lu Spada is also much more than a winery. It is a meeting place between city, sea, and countryside, an open space for culture, conviviality, and landscape discovery. Through tastings, events, artistic and cultural initiatives, the estate promotes a vision of wine as an identity expression of the territory and a means of enhancing the Via Appia.
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