G7: Ischia on lockdown, Michelin-starred cuisine for ministers
Naples - The island of Ischia is on lockdown ahead of the G7 Ministers of the Interior meeting, to be held on October 19 and 20, 2017, focusing on the fight against foreign fighters and terrorist use of the Internet. A prefecture summit in Naples will decide whether or not to authorize demonstrations by opponents. Meanwhile, the Mayor of Ischia, Vincenzo Ferrandino, has closed schools for two days. Authorized personnel, journalists and residents of the area of the Aragonese Castle, where the meeting between the Ministers of Italy, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the USA will begin on Thursday afternoon, will be provided with identification badges. All accesses to the Castle and to Grand Hotel Punta Molino, where the working sessions will take place, will be closed. The anti-globalization movement intends to depart from Naples by ferry around 10 a.m. on Thursday, when Italian Minister Marco Minniti is also scheduled to embark from the Pisacane wharf. Prefect Carmela Pagano has already banned non-resident vehicles on the island. On October 19, the representatives of the 7 countries will be able to taste quality local food and wine from Campania, with a seafood menu served during the gala dinner to be hosted in the Salone Rotondo of the hotel. On October 20, instead, a buffet lunch with inland dishes will be served at the historic restaurant O' Rangio Fellone, designed and built by architect Sandro Petti, where Italian artist Ugo Calise performed in the 1950s and '60s. Lunch will be served at the famous Rotonda sul Mare, which Italian singer Fred Bongusto wrote a song about. For the summit, special dishes will be created by chef Arcangelo Arcamone, who wishes first of all to introduce guests to the traditional cuisine of Campania and Ischia, for example with the locally bred black piglet, representing the important agricultural heritage of this region, and 'mezzi paccheri di Gragnano al sugo di pinterre' (Gragnano pasta with pinterre sauce, i.e. pinterre is a Mediterranean fish that, in Neapolitan, means 'painted by a king', due to its beautiful colors). But also the donzella, a typical cliff fish caught near the bay of Punta Molino, right in front of the Aragonese Castle. There will be plenty of typical products of the Campania region, such as the Mozzarella di Bufala DOP, which will be served in three different textures, and a very special ancient legume called cicerchia, but also Giffoni hazelnuts, Neapolitan taralli, wild asparagus from the island and Rucolino liqueur. Desserts will be classic ones of the area: babà and sfogliatella. The wines served will also be from Ischia: the red wine Per' E Palummo by the Tommasone winery, and the white wines Villa Campagnano by Cantine Antonio Mazzella and Pithecusa Bianco by the Tommasone winery.