Gelato Stories
Matteo De Simoni and Gelateria Gianni in Bologna: Half a Century of Gelato Beneath the Two Towers
Gelateria Gianni opened in Bologna in 1972, and it has been one of the city's reference points for gelato ever since, in a town that knows its gelaterie. Telling its story, in an interview for this column, was Matteo De Simoni, son of founder Gianni: a child of the trade who grew up, by his own admission, among batch freezers, cold rooms and recipes.
A Pioneering Father and the Golden Years
Before striking out on his own, Gianni De Simoni had worked for Oliviero, a hugely famous gelateria in the Bologna of the day. The stories from those years, his son recalled, sounded almost beyond belief: queues stretching down the block, piazzas full of people out for the evening with a gelato in hand, working hours beyond all measure. Once he opened his own shop, Gianni proved a serial innovator: by Matteo's account he was among the first to bring karaoke to Bologna in the seventies, with sold-out evenings in a gelateria seating three hundred, among the first to display gelato on open counters, and he collected wins at Sigep and at the “1000 Idee per un nuovo gusto” competition. A recent anecdote gave the measure of how fond Bologna is of the place: a letter from his father to customers, posted on Facebook to restate that quality comes first, was read by 45,000 people.
A Hundred and Fifty Recipes and the Sacred Classics
The gelateria works from a recipe book of around 150 flavors and invents new ones every week, often with names that are a story in themselves: Che Fatica Farlo, Il Signore degli Anelli, Le Due Torri, L'Avvocato, La Bolognese. On the classics, though, there is no fooling around: fior di latte, crema, pistachio, hazelnut and chocolate are considered sacred and must always be perfect. It is the balance typical of the great names of Emilia-Romagna: imagination in the display case, rigor on the basics.
Il 46° Kilometro, a Flavor with a Story
At the 2015 Gelato Festival the shop entered “Il 46° Kilometro”, created by Matteo: a gelato made with Romana d'Avola almonds, rippled with praline almonds and shavings of Modica chocolate from the Sabadì company, conceived as a tribute to Sicily. Behind the recipe, the gelato maker explained, lay a personal story: the strong, persistent chocolate stood for him, the pale, sweet almond for his wife, the little praline almonds for the two daughters who had brought sparkle into their lives. In the house philosophy, every flavor must have superior raw ingredients and a story to tell. Judging by the line outside the door, the formula has worked for half a century.
Bologna, a Quiet Capital of Gelato
That a story like this comes out of Bologna will not surprise anyone who knows the geography of Italian gelato. The Emilian capital has been one of the industry's world centers for decades: Anzola dell'Emilia, just outside the city, is home to Carpigiani, the best-known maker of gelato machines, with its Gelato University training aspiring gelato makers from all over the world each year, and next door the Gelato Museum, dedicated to the history of the craft. Around this technical hub has grown a demanding local culture, with a concentration of high-level artisanal gelaterie that is rare even by Italian standards. It is an environment that raises the bar for everyone: in a city where the public can tell a well-made fior di latte at the first taste, remaining a reference point for half a century really means something. The rule of the sacred classics, after all, is the lesson every gelato school repeats on the first day of class.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about gelato and gelaterie in Bologna
Why are the classic flavors considered the test of a gelateria?
Because they offer nowhere to hide: fior di latte, crema, hazelnut, pistachio and chocolate live on raw ingredients and balance alone, with no ripples or fanciful names to distract the palate. A dull fior di latte or a hazelnut that tastes of flavoring tells you at once how the lab works. Creative flavors are fun, but a counter's reputation is built on the five classics done well, day after day.
What does churning gelato actually involve?
Churning is the step where the liquid mix becomes gelato: in the batch freezer the mixture is chilled rapidly while being stirred, so it takes in air in a controlled way and the ice crystals stay tiny. The creaminess and texture of the final product depend on this balance of cold, air and movement. Gelato churned several times a day is generally a sign of fresh production.
Why is Bologna so closely tied to the world of gelato?
Beyond the tradition of its gelaterie, the city has the industry's main manufacturing and training hub on its doorstep: Anzola dell'Emilia hosts the headquarters of Carpigiani, the world leader in gelato machines, the Gelato University, which trains professionals from every continent, and the Gelato Museum. This concentration of technique and training has fed a particularly demanding local gelato culture.
How can you tell a gelateria that does things properly?
The reliable signs never change: natural, never fluorescent colors, flavors that follow the seasons, display cases without theatrical mountains, a fior di latte that tastes of fresh milk. Transparency about ingredients and consistency matter too: regulars notice every variation. A line outside the door, when it repeats for years rather than for a fad, remains the hardest verdict to buy.