Sustainable Food

Feeding the population has always been a concern for cities. It has been a decisive factor in their relationship with surrounding territories, in the centuries-long evolution of technologies for obtaining food produce and in the conditions under which men and women have been able to feed themselves and stay alive. 

From the outset, one of the main tasks of the Consell de Cent, the Barcelona municipal institution created in 1249, was to guarantee food supplies and ensure food safety. Since then, the city's government has strived to guarantee good quality food supplies, because it has been directly responsible for them, provided support in doing so or has sought alternatives to the insufficient actions of other authorities.  

The municipal government's intervention continues today, with Mercabarna, Barcelona and the Western Mediterranean's great food store, and the city's network of municipal markets. This long history of decisive municipal involvement in the food supply chain is historically unique to Barcelona, with no similar situation in most other European cities.   
The exhibition is open from 15 October 2021 to 15 October 2022.  

Presentation of the exhibition “Feeding Barcelona, city, supply and health”, organised by the Museu d’Història de Barcelona (MUHBA).

One area of research and dissemination for the MUHBA in recent years has centred on the study of food and people’s health. The “Feeding Barcelona” project has paid particular attention to the institutions and policies which have made it possible to meet the basic life needs of people throughout history, and, as a consequence, the sustainable existence of the city itself. 
 

During the 14th and 15th centuries, Catalan cooking achieved a level of excellence that was internationally acknowledged. Its aims were to obtain complex flavours through combining fine seasonings, to mask the natural qualities of the food and create sophisticated and attractive dishes. The conquest of Naples by Alfonso the Magnanimous and popes Calixtus III and Alexander VI, both from the Borja family, contributed to increased contact with Italy, from where its fame spread to the rest of Western Europe. Italian creations were praised by the expert gourmets of the day and were gathered across four cookery books: Llibre de Sent Soví [The Book of Saint Sovin], Llibre d’aparellar de menja [Book of Food Pairings], Llibre de totes maneres de potatges [Book of all Kinds of Stews] and Llibre del coc [Book of the Cook].