Today it has become a worldwide institution and a pinnacle of culinary excellence in Italy. Follow Slow Food’s philosophy on your next trip to Italy to travel responsibly and eat with intention.

From fast food to the slow food revolution

Slow Food, while headquartered in Northwestern Italy in the small town of Bra, has its origins in Rome. In 1986 the first McDonald’s in Italy opened its doors in the heart of Piazza di Spagna, inspiring thousands of enraged Romans to fill the streets in protest. The (cheekily named) Slow Food movement was born out of this fear of a fast-food invasion and the desire to protect and preserve local culinary traditions.