FICO, the world's largest agri-food park, opened in 2017 to equal parts cheering and sneering in a formerly dilapidated wholesale farmers' market 7km northeast of Piazza Maggiore. Love it or hate it, the 100,000-sq-metre culinary theme park, is a gastronomic juggernaut. It features 45 restaurants, including ventures from Michelin-starred chefs like Enrico Bartolini; and Trattoria da Amerigo, a detour-worthy restaurant in Emilia-Romagna's truffle territory. It also includes endless speciality shops and kiosks slinging Italy's greatest culinary accomplishments and drool-worthy wine and beer sections.
Some of the additional distractions are interesting: workshops and demos along with factories covering pasta making, parmigiano reggiano, gelato, mortadella – the list goes on and on. Others are skippable by all but agricultural enthusiasts: animal farms, gardens and other agri-centric exhibitions. It's best to think of it as an Eataly in overdrive, a one-stop Holy Grail for the culinarily curious. To get here, catch the TPER FICObus (one-way/return €5/7). A new family-friendly amusement park is on the way in 2019.
