Sensory senteraction between food culture and historic cities: the food markets of Rome

Food, as both a vital and cultural element, serves as a thread connecting agricultural practices, culinary techniques, rituals, and historical architecture. It shapes landscapes and everyday life, becoming a key to understanding the identity of places. In a global context marked by environmental and food-related challenges, it is essential to safeguard local food systems as expressions of sustainability and intangible heritage. This paper explores the relationship between food culture and historic cities by conducting a multisensory analysis of several food markets in central Rome, documenting sounds, smells, colors, tastes, and tactile perceptions. The aim is to propose an innovative model of urban storytelling that enhances food as a tool for knowledge, memory, and sustainable tourism attraction. The project integrates ethnographic surveying, GIS tools, and visual storytelling, offering replicable guidelines for the sensory enhancement of urban heritage.