La Universitat de València opens the exhibition that commemorates the 700 anniversary of the most ancient gastronomy book of Spain

## La Universitat de València opens the exhibition that commemorates the 700 anniversary of the most ancient gastronomy book of Spain

The Universitat de València presents in the La Nau Cultural Centre the exhibition ‘MEDIEVAL GASTRONOMY. The Book of Sent Soví and the cuisine in the 14th and 15th century’, which shows for the first time to the audience most ancient the cookery book preserved in Spain, the book of Sent Soví, a recipe book of gastronomy written in valencian and that is kept in the Historical Library of the UV. Following, a gastronomy sample was made, led by the chef Jorge de Andrés, National Gastronomy Awards 2022, (Group La Sucursal - Veles e Vents), that took place in the same Cloister. The Principal of the Universitat de València, Maria Vicenta Mestre, opened the exhibition on Thursday, 20 February, in the afternoon, in the Cloister of La Nau. Following, a gastronomy sample was made, led by the chef Jorge de Andrés, National Gastronomy Awards 2022, (Group La Sucursal - Veles e Vents), that took place in the same Cloister.

The preserved copy of ‘Sent Soví’ in the Historical Library of the UV is dated from the beginning of the 15th century, but it has been proved that is based on an older lost original, probably, written in 1324, which this year will be its 700 anniversary, reason why the exhibition is done. 

During her speech the Principal highlighted the innovative character of the Universitat de València, an institution that knows how to preserve its past with bibliographical jewellery like ‘Sent Soví’, as well as other copies that are guarded in the Historical Library, and that updates to spread and projects its legacy worldwide, through this exhibition and digitalisation of the copy it can be consulted free through the Roderic. Furthermore, she referred to the importance of the gastronomy for the valencian society, which is not just part of the culture, but also a symbol of fraternity and “germanor”.

Finally, the thanked all the staff of UVculture that contributes to the realisation of project like this one, and that transforms the Cultural Centre La Nau of the Universitat de València “in a point of reference” of valencian and state culture.

On his part, the chef Jorge de Andrés explained that “chefs cook histories” and that the ‘Sent Soví’ helped him to read the culinary habits of the period. He knows the book for some years and it produced him a special emotion knowing that the oldest recipe book of the Iberian Peninsula was valencian. “it includes refined recipes, it was a cook thought for noblemen and for the current tastes, much more sweet and spiced, so we read and make a re-interpretative exercise to adapt to the present period”. The attendees to the inauguration could taste interpretations of that cook, and in the setting of the exhibition, there will be three more samples (look in the programme of complementary activities).

The exhibition was presented last 12 February in a press conference that counted with the intervention of Ester Alba, Vice-Principal of Culture and Society and, with Juan Vicente García Marsilla, curator of the exhibition and Professor of Medieval History of the Universitat de València. The curator assistant, Andrea Martí also attended.

The exhibition, which can be visited in the Academia Exhibition Room until 4 May, is structured in three sections: ‘Cook to read. The recipe books and its ingredients’; ‘Medieval stoves. The kitchen as a working and creative space’ and ‘Eating together in the Middle Ages. The universe of the table’, and counts with numerous pieces from 23 providers, museums and archives, both valencian and Spanish and European, which illustrate a journey through the senses. There are presented stoves, mortars, gilded ceramic plates, kitchen utensils, vessels, gold and silverware that adorned tables, banqueting account books, even leftovers from that period, that miraculously have been preserved, as well as images from gothic art illustrating these moments and interactive montages that will take the visitors to a lost world of taste and smell.

The Vice-principal of Culture and Society underlined that this exhibition recreates the historical context of the Sent Soví, “a bibliography jewel of the UV” that is shown for the first time to the public, “in this environment created from the scientific and academic rigor through this exhibition”. She also explained that the institution is working in this exhibit project for more than three years andthat in 2020 the Universitat de València had also published the facsimile edition of this work, which is between the two or three oldest recipe books in Europe, as the curator of the sample had pointed out.

In the first section, as the curator continued saying, the historical context in which the book emerged can be seen. In addition, it is shown the material remainder of some ingredients of the recipes and some objects that were used in its production or recipients that one day contained them.

Next, in the second section there are mainly exposed instruments, those necessary to carry out different steps of the recipes. Among these stand out: basins, wooden, stone or metal mortars, pestles, pots, pans, casseroles... And among the curiosities there are the aliments preserved of the period, nuts, seed and specially it stands out a chicken egg of the 15th century, found in the Basilica of Alicante, which has lent it to MARQ (Archaeological Museum of Alicante).

In the third, and last section of the exhibition, there have been arranged this way various visual testimonies of those medieval banquets, three boards and an altarpiece that, even if they represent biblical scenes or hagiographic, they are set in dinning rooms of the 15th century so they first spectators, the devoted that saw them in the churches, could understand them better and could internalise the messages. Thus, they are authentic windows to the past and they are not left out of conventionalisms and symbolic messages.

The exhibition, that is produces by the Vice-Principal for Culture and Society, counts with cared catalogue, will be accompanied with a large programme of culture mediation.

**A large programme with guided tours, conference, samples, an artistic facility and an international congress.**

In the months of February and April, there will be guided tours with the curator of the exhibition. Also, on 11 March, it will be opened in the Oberta Exhibition Room the artistic facility ‘The building of taste. Carles Tarrassó. Perspective on gastronomy and desire’, which can be visited until 1 June.

Also, there will be conferences and samples led by chef Jorge de Andrés on Friday 14 and 4 April and on Tuesday 15 April (18 hours). At the end of April, on Tuesday 29 and Wednesdays 30, will be held the international congress ‘Eat according to the statutes. Diet and Society in the late medieval Europe’, in the Palmireno Room in the Faculty of Geography and History of the Universitat de València and the Aula Magna of the Cultural Centre La Nau. All the information available at http://www.uv.es/cultura.

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