U.N. Food Summit Participants Rewarded With Banquet
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
ROME — After a day spent debating the world food crisis, the 40 heads of government taking part in the U.N. food summit were rewarded with a banquet at a palazzo designed by Raphael.
The leaders sat down to dinner in the frescoed halls of the Villa Madama, a sprawling palace on the lower slopes of Monte Mario in Rome. The villa, which is set in acres of gardens and woodland, was one of the Renaissance’s most famous and imitated buildings. Benito Mussolini bought Villa for the state and it is now used for ceremonial events.
Last night’s menu was a closely-guarded secret, but was said to be “rigorously Italian.”
President Mugabe was not invited to the banquet, which was hosted by Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy and Secretary-General Ban. The Zimbabwean president brought his own cadre of chefs and waiters with him to Rome, and installed them in the kitchen of the five-star Hotel Ambasciatori Palace, where he has a suite.
