A weekend of celebrations and discoveries, including conferences on extra virgin olive oil, show cooking by international chefs, masterclasses and lots of fun!
Click on the button to discover the programme for each day.
Saturday, March 7th 2026
10:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M.
LUCCA OLIVE OIL YOU: Extra Virgin Oil Festival – Real Collegio, first floor
Highlights:
Organised by Accademia Maestrod’Olio. Free event.
12:00 P.M. – 1:30 P.M.
Activity:
Lucca Olive You – show cooking with chef Hiro
Venue:
Real Collegio, multi-purpose room
Highlights:
Showcooking “Hanami Extravergine” – food pairing with extra virgin olive oil and fish prepared by the chef; tasting for all participants.
3:00 P.M. – 3:45 P.M.
Activity:
Lucca Olive You – Food, Territory and International Education talk: “Research and development model for Sustainability”
Venue:
Real Collegio, first floor, wall-side room
Highlights:
Free event
6:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M.
Activity:
Lucca Olive You – show cooking with Valentina Alunno
Venue:
Real Collegio, multi-purpose room
Hightlights:
Showcooking – contemporary gnocchetti with cheese fondue and colourful cabbage pesto, toasted Umbrian hazelnuts and Valentina’s oil cantucci; tasting for all participants.
Sunday, March 8th 2026
10:00 A.M. – 7:30 P.M.
LUCCA OLIVE YOU: Extra Virgin Oil Festival – Real Collegio, first floor
Highlights:
Organised by Accademia Maestrod’Olio. Free event.
10:30 A.M. – 11:30 A.M.
Activity:
Lucca Olive Oil You – round table discussion on “Extra virgin olive oil“
Venue:
Real Collegio, first floor, wall-side room
Highlights:
A pillar of health for all ages in collaboration with Penn State University and Shaner Hotel Group. Free event
12:00 P.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Activity:
Extra virgin olive oil tasting with Maestrod’olio Fausto Borella
Venue:
Real Collegio, first floor, wall-side room
Highlights:
Technical tasting of 10 extra virgin olive oils with Maestrod’olio Fausto Borella.
Excellent sparkling wine for the participants after the tasting.
3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.
Activity:
Wine tasting “The great years of Fèlsina: Sangiovese from Tuscany” with Leonardo Calò
Venue:
Real Collegio, first floor, wall-side room
Highlights:
Wine tasting with Leonardo Calò from Osteria dell’Indulgenza and Giuseppe Mazzocolin – Fèlsina.
A vertical tasting of three vintages – 2012, 2016 and 2020 – of Rancia and Fontalloro, for a total of six wines.
4:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.
Activity:
Show cooking with Stefano Gori – chef at Miglio restaurant
Venue:
Real Collegio, multi-purpose room
Highlights:
Show cooking – risotto with Livorno sauce reduction and mullet tartare with citrus aroma. Free event with booking
6:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M.
Activity:
Show cooking with Taddeucci factory of Buccellato
Venue:
Real Collegio, multi-purpose room
Highlights:
Show cooking – Borellini and Taddeuccini: shortbread biscuits with olive oil cream and extra virgin olive oil plum cake. Free event with booking
Guests of LOOY
EVOO Expert and founder of Maestrod’olio Academy
Sunday, March 8th at 12.00 p.m. – Real Collegio, first floor, wall-side room
Highlights: Technical tasting of 10 extra virgin olive oils with Maestrod’olio Fausto Borella.
Excellent sparkling wine for the participants after the tasting.
BIO
Fausto Borella is a professional sommelier, food and wine critic, and television personality. For over twenty years, he has been committed to promoting high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Founder of the Maestrod’olio Academy, he organises consultations, courses, tastings, and events in Italy and abroad, promoting the culture of craftsmanship and healthy eating linked to Italy’s food and wine heritage.
Ambassador of Japanese cuisine in Italy and gastronomic promoter
Saturday, March 7th at 12.00 p.m – Real Collegio, multi-purpose room
Highlights: Showcooking “Hanami Extravergine” – food pairing with extra virgin olive oil and fish prepared by the chef; tasting for all participants.
BIO
Hirohiko Shoda, known as Hiro, was born in Nara (Japan) in 1977. Trained at the Tsuji Culinary Institute, he specialised in Italian cuisine and worked for years in high-end Italian restaurants in Japan as head chef. In 2006, he moved to Italy, where he worked for a long time with Massimiliano Alajmo at Le Calandre, a three-Michelin-star restaurant. Today, he is an academic lecturer, creator of the Master Japan project, author, trainer and well-known face on television, radio and the web.
UnoMattina’s farmhouse cook and food influencer
Saturday, March 7th at 6.00 p.m. – Real Collegio, multi-purpose room
Highlights: Showcooking – contemporary gnocchetti with cheese fondue and colourful cabbage pesto, toasted Umbrian hazelnuts and Valentina’s oil cantucci; tasting for all participants.
BIO
Valentina Alunno, 34 years old, from Umbria and known on social media as “Contemporary Farmer”, runs a farmhouse in San Giustino linked to her family’s farm. Agrichef, during the warm season, brings her gastronomic offerings to events throughout Italy with her own food truck. She is also a television personality: for several years now, she has been cooking live every Wednesday on UnoMattina on Raiuno, with recipes based on seasonal products.
Chef at Miglio restaurant in Lucca
Sunday, March 8th at 4.30 p.m. – Real Collegio, multi-purpose room
Highlights: Showcooking – risotto with Livorno sauce reduction and mullet tartare with citrus aroma – Free event with booking
Factory of Buccellato from Lucca
Sunday, March 8th at 6.00 p.m. – Real Collegio, multi-purpose room
Highlights: Showcooking – Borellini and Taddeuccini: shortbread biscuits with olive oil cream and extra virgin olive oil plum cake – Free event with booking
Leonardo Calò
Osteria dell’Indugenza
Giuseppe Mazzocolin
Fèlsina.
Sunday, March 8th at 3.00 p.m. – Real Collegio, first floor, wall-side room
Highlights: Wine tasting “The great years of Fèlsina: Sangiovese from Tuscany”
Free event
Saturday, March 7th at 3.00 p.m. – Real Collegio, first floor, wall-side room
A pillar of health for all ages in collaboration with Penn State University and Shaner Hotel Group.
Free event
Sunday, March 8th at 10.30 a.m. – Real Collegio, first floor, wall-side room