You are here

Home » The Academy

New By-laws

New By-laws of the Italian Academy of Cuisine
approved by the Academic Advisory Council on 11 January 2024

TITLE I: THE ACADEMICIAN
TITLE II: FUNCTIONS OF THE ACADEMY’S GOVERNING BODIES
TITLE III: AWARDS, CERTIFICATES AND RECOGNITION
TITLE IV: CULTURAL AND EDITORIAL ACTIVITY

TITLE I: THE ACADEMICIAN

Article 1 – Candidacy, admission, membership fees, contact details, resignation

  1. An application for admission, according to article 6 of the Statute, must be submitted to the President of the Academy by means of the appropriate form drawn up by the President’s Council, and should include a short CV of the candidate, a declaration of his/her adherence to the Academy’s goals, and acceptance of the norms of the Statute, By-laws and the Code of Ethics as well as collection and release of personal data by the Academy in accordance with its institutional norms. The application, if presented by a Delegation, shall be signed by the candidate, the presenting Delegate and another Academician from the Delegation, subject to approval by the Delegation’s Advisory Board, as required by article 26 of the Statute. The application may be sent to the President only after the candidate has attended at least three of the Delegation’s convivial gatherings unless the President makes an exception. If presented by a Legation, the application, using the appropriate form, shall be signed by the candidate and the Legate.
  2. Unless the President’s Council grants an exception, Academicians can only be members of the Delegation or Legation of their primary or habitual residence or domicile.
  3. The candidate, if accepted by the President, shall pay their membership dues, in accordance with paragraph 4 below, within thirty days of receiving notice that the application has been accepted. If membership dues remain unpaid after the deadline, the President’s acceptance shall be considered withdrawn without further notice.
  4. Membership dues during the first year are 50% higher than the ordinary annual dues established by the Academic Advisory Council.
  5. It is the Academician’s duty to contribute, through loyalty and a sense of belonging, to the Academy’s well-being. Academicians agree to abide by the decisions legitimately taken by the Delegation’s Advisory Board within the terms of the Statute, By-laws and Code of Ethics.
  6. It is the Academician’s duty to notify the Secretariat immediately, even through their Delegate or Legate, of any variation in the membership data provided to the Secretariat (position, professional activities, residence, domicile, telephone number, email address etc) to remain contactable.
  7. Academicians may submit their resignation, by any means of communication, addressing it to the President of the Academy, even through their Delegate or Legate. Resignation is irrevocable, does not require acknowledgement and takes effect immediately. Resignation does not entitle an Academician to be reimbursed for the annual dues paid.
  8. Academy members who have paid their dues shall, through the procedures established by the President’s Council, receive an annual membership card or endorsement proving membership in the Academy, and upon admission, receive the Academy’s insignia.
  9. Academicians who hold any Academic position or voluntarily wish to contribute to the Academy’s cultural, editorial or promotional activities (magazine, restaurant guide, publications, website, etc) shall do so free of charge.

Article 2 – Communication of measures taken

  1. Dismissal for lapse in participation, non-payment of dues or ineligibility, recall, exclusion or revocation, or closure of Delegations or Legations is determined by the President of the Academy, who communicates these measures via registered mail with return receipt (AR) or certified email (PEC) or by any other means, including information technologies (such as, but not limited to, ordinary email, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Signal, Telegram, Viber etc), as long as the Academician’s receipt thereof can be proven.
  2. These measures take effect from the date of receipt by the addressee or within 10 days from the date of non-delivery of AR registered mail, if any.
  3. In the event that the measure’s recipient cannot be reached, it will become enforceable and no longer subject to appeal if, within two months after notification, the recipient has not communicated with the Academy, updating their contact information whereby such measures may be received.

Article 3 – Dismissal through lapse in participation

  1. Academicians may lose their membership for not participating in at least two of their Delegation’s convivial gatherings within a 12-month period without written justification.
  2. In accordance with article 8 of the Statute, the aforementioned disqualification notice shall contain the grounds for action provided by the Delegate and the Delegation Advisory Board’s opinion, and shall be sent to the disqualified Academy member by the President of the Academy through the communication methods outlined in art. 2 above.
  3. The disqualified Academy member shall have no right to the reimbursement of membership dues.

Article 4 – Payment and handling of membership dues; expulsion for non-payment or ineligibility

  1. Academy members are required to pay their annual membership dues to the Secretariat of the Academy, via their Delegate or Legate or by other means determined by the President’s Council, no later than 31 March each year.
  2. Any Academy member who, following a written request (which may be sent electronically) for payment by their Delegate or Legate or, in the absence of this by 31 March, by the Treasurer, has not paid their annual dues by 30 April shall be disqualified.
  3. Delegates or Legates may not request that Academicians pay membership dues higher than those established annually by the Academic Advisory Council in accordance with article 15, paragraph (e), of the Statute.
  4. Delegates or Legates transferring membership dues to the Secretariat of the Academy shall keep 25% of those dues to be used for their Delegation’s or Legation’s Academic events, informing their Advisory Boards accordingly in the reports required by article 25, paragraph 7 of the Statute.
  5. A Delegate intending to use a bank account for managing membership dues and Academic activities must open one dedicated exclusively to this purpose, jointly held with the Delegation’s Treasurer, if any, or Secretary.

Article 5 – Disciplinary measures: recall and exclusion

  1. Recall and exclusion measures set out in article 8 of the Statute shall be communicated by the President via the means indicated in article 2 above.
  2. Expelled Academy members shall have no right to the reimbursement of dues.

Article 6 – Transfers

  1. Unless the President’s Council grants an exception, and in accordance with article 24, part 4, of the Statute, transfer to another Delegation or Legation is permitted only to Academicians relocating their primary residence or domicile to the territory of that Delegation or Legation.
  2. Transfer is also allowed if one’s primary residence or domicile becomes included in the territory of a new Delegation or Legation.
  3. Transfer requests must be addressed to the President through the appropriate form and include the opinion of the original territory’s Delegate or Legate. The President may accept such requests after consulting with the Delegate or Legate of the territory to which the applicant is requesting a transfer.
  4. If more than one Delegation has been established in the area where the member intends to move, the request for admission shall be addressed only to one Delegation.
  5. An Academician who relocates abroad for a period exceeding one year, to a location where no Delegation or Legation exists, is considered to have resigned according to Article 8 of the Statute. If that Academician subsequently moves to another place where a Delegation or Legation exists, the Academician can petition the President for readmission, provided the requisites set forth in article 6, part 1 of the Statute continue to be met, and is required to pay only the dues for the current year.

TITLE II: FUNCTIONS OF THE ACADEMY’S GOVERNING BODIES

Article 7 – Nomination of Delegates

  1. Upon the expiry of the Delegate’s term, the President’s Council can confirm the outgoing Delegate according to article 17 of the Statute. Alternatively, it can request that the Academicians of the Delegation, having been polled by the Secretary-General through electronic means (email, messaging systems etc), consider one or more candidates for the office among Academicians in good standing and up to date with membership dues, other than the unconfirmed Delegate.
  2. In the event of a Delegate’s resignation, death, removal from office or other impediment, their Academicians, having been polled by the Secretary-General through the means delineated in paragraph 1 above, should indicate to the President’s Council one or more candidates among Academicians in good standing and up to date with membership dues, other than the aforementioned impeded or departing Delegate.
  3. According to article 25 of the Statute, the President’s Council will take into consideration the recommendations outlined above, which must be submitted within 15 days from the request or the event and must be accompanied by an exhaustive Academic curriculum. After proper evaluation, the President’s Council will proceed to nominate the Delegate according to article 17 of the Statute, or can ask the Academicians of the Delegation to recommend another candidate via the methods indicated in paragraph 1 above. Should the Academicians of the Delegation present no recommendation within 15 days, the President’s Council can proceed with the nomination on its own authority.
  4. If no Delegate can be appointed because there was no recommendation or it was rejected, or for any other reason, the President’s Council will close the Delegation and its Academicians shall be considered to have resigned, without the right to reimbursement of their membership dues. The President’s Council will decide whether to reassign the closed Delegation’s territory or transform it into a Legation.

Article 8 – Resignation or impediment of a Delegate

  1. Should a Delegate resign or be otherwise hindered from properly undertaking the duties of the office, the Delegate or the Vice-Delegate with the highest Academic seniority or, failing that, the Advisory Board member with the highest Academic seniority must inform the President of the Academy of this as soon as possible.
  2. In any case, until a new Delegate is appointed, the President’s Council will nominate the most Academically senior Vice-Delegate or, failing that, the most Academically senior Advisory Board member to serve as interim Delegate.

Article 9 – Revocation of Delegates’ or Regional Coordinators’ appointments

  1. Delegates and Regional Coordinators can have their appointments revoked at any time, with justification, by the President’s Council for not observing the norms laid out in the Statute, By-laws or Code of Ethics, or in any other directive emanated by the central statutory bodies of the Academy.
  2. Regional Coordinators may have their appointments revoked at any time whenever the President’s Council decides not to nominate a Regional Coordinator in accordance with article 23, paragraph 1, of the Statute.
  3. The removal, in itself, shall not entail expulsion or disqualification from the Academy, except in the cases contemplated in article 8 of the Statute.

Article 10 – The Delegation Advisory Board (Consulta)

  1. In accordance with article 26 of the Statute, each Delegate must, as soon as possible and in any case within 30 days of being appointed, establish a Delegation Advisory Board from among full Academicians in good standing, and nominate one or two Vice-Delegates, a Secretary and, optionally, a Treasurer, entrusting them with the necessary authority for the proper functioning of the Delegation. The positions of Vice-Delegate and Secretary cannot be combined.
  2. The minutes of the Advisory Board’s meetings are drafted by the Secretary, or in their absence, by another Board member, and are kept by the Delegate and accessible to the Delegation’s Academicians.

Article 11 – Disputes and the Arbitration Board

  1. Any issue or dispute covered by article 22 of the Statute must be submitted to the Arbitration Board within 30 days of arising.
  2. Petitions to the Arbitration Board must contain a full presentation of the relevant facts and should be sent to the President of the Arbitration Board and all interested parties. Such petitions will not disrupt the effectiveness of the resolutions by the central statutory bodies of the Academy.
  3. The President of the Arbitration Board may, after having informed the concerned parties and in the absence of an explicit contrary request by any of them, act as friendly mediator and pass final judgment on the case.
  4. At the Arbitration Board President’s discretion or when mandated by current Italian law, in-person meetings may be replaced by long-distance communication and deliberation, via email or other forms of telecommunication.
  5. In accordance with relevant regulations set forth in the Statute, By-laws and Code of Ethics, the decisions of the Arbitration Board or its President shall be rendered within 30 days from receipt of the petition concerned, and are final and not subject to appeal.

TITLE III: AWARDS, CERTIFICATES AND RECOGNITION

Article 12 – Awards, certificates and recognition

  1. All forms of recognition, awards and certificates are destined for non-Academicians and may consist of monetary sums, works of art, plaques, medals or certificates, subject to the decision of the President’s Council.
  2. The awards assigned by the President’s Council are:
    a) The Orio Vergani Prize, for individuals, organisations or associations whose work and activities have honoured Italian gastronomy and food culture in any field, in Italy or abroad.
    b) The Gianni Fossati Prize, for a print journalist whose original writing has contributed, whether in Italy or abroad, to promoting and enhancing Italian food culture.
  3. By March of every year, and subject to approval from the Delegation’s Advisory Council, Delegates may send nominations to the President’s Council for awards, certificates or other forms of recognition already established by the same body.
    a)The Dino Villani Prize is for an artisanal product of established local importance whose tradition should be maintained and safeguarded.
    b) The Giovanni Nuvoletti Prize is for a person or organisation that has contributed significantly to promoting and enhancing traditional culinary excellence.
    c) The Massimo Alberini Prize is assigned by Delegations to commercial enterprises or artisanal establishments with a long track record of producing food made from high-quality ingredients using techniques which respect local traditions and ethical and legal standards.
    d) The Excellent Cuisine Diploma is awarded within Italy.
    e) The Good Cuisine Diploma is awarded in Italy and abroad.
  4. The elimination, modification or introduction of awards and other forms of recognition are the prerogative of the President’s Council and require no amendments to the present By-laws.
  5. Delegations, Legations and Regional Study Centres cannot establish diplomas, certificates, awards or scholarships in the name of the ItalianAcademy of Cuisine without prior authorisation from the President’s Council.

Article 13 – Registry of Traditional Recipes and protection of agrifood products

  1. Subject to approval by the Delegation Advisory Board, the Delegate may send requests, using the appropriate forms, to the President’s Council for classic traditional local recipes which are particularly deserving of preservation to be registered with public entities or notary offices. Such registration shall be subject to the agreement of the President’s Council.
  2. Subject to the President’s Council’s authorisation, Delegations can contribute to the protection of particular traditional food products, optionally in collaboration with public entities, through various designations (De.CO, P.A.T., PGI, PDO etc).

TITLE IV: CULTURAL AND EDITORIAL ACTIVITY

Article 14 – The Academy’s Study Centre
 

  1. The initiatives furthering the Academy’s institutional purposes include the Study Centre named after the concept’s originator, Franco Marenghi. Its function is to study, analyse and consult on historical, economic, sociological, gastronomic, nutritional and technical issues related to Italian cuisine.
  2. The President’s Council appoints, and can at any time dismiss, the Study Centre’s President and its members, numbering up to 15, who must have distinguished themselves in the field of gastronomy and food culture.
  3. The Study Centre’s President appoints its Vice-President and Secretary.
  4. All Study Centre posts begin and end with those of other Academic statutory bodies.
  5. The Study Centre’s meetings must be convened by its President at least once a year, even if remotely; a copy of their minutes must be sent to the President’s Council.

Article 15 – The Regional Study Centres
 

  1. Regional Study Centres may be established in Italy to study general and local topics within the territorial jurisdiction determined by the President’s Council. They may also conduct studies and research on specific subjects assigned by the President’s Council, and contribute to the Academy’s gastronomic publications.
  2. Each RSC may include both Academicians and non-member experts on gastronomy and food culture residing in its territory. RSC posts last three years, their terms coinciding with those of other Academic statutory bodies.
  3. The President of the Academy may appoint or dismiss RSC Directors at any moment, after consulting the Regional Coordinator.
  4. The President of the Academy may appoint or dismiss RSC members at any time after consulting the Regional Study Centre Director. Only one Academician per Delegation, other than the Delegate, can be an RSC member, in addition to the Regional Coordinator who is automatically an RSC member but cannot be its Director or Secretary.
  5. RSC meetings must be convened at least once a year, even if remotely, by each RSC Director. Their minutes are taken by the RSC Secretary, appointed by the Director, and must be made available to the President of the Academy.

Article 16 – The Academy’s Library

  1. The initiatives furthering the Academy’s institutional purposes include a Library of donated or acquired works named after Giuseppe Dell’Osso, who first conceived it. The Library, which may be located on the premises of public entities or universities, is part of the Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale – SBN (National Library Service), a network established by the Ministry of Cultural Assets and Activities, and is open to the public.

Article 17 – The Academy’s publications: magazine, Restaurant Guide, monographs, Membership Roster, website

  1. In pursuit of its institutional goals, the Academy publishes the magazine Civiltá della Tavola, the Restaurant Guide, and other food-related materials which may be printed and/or made available on the Academy’s website or through other online resources.
  2. All Academicians may contribute, free of charge, to the Academy’s magazine. Reports of convivial meetings in the Delegations may be published only if they are sent to the Academy’s Secretariat no later than thirty days after the date of the event.
  3. The criteria used in the descriptions and assessments of restaurants listed in the Restaurant Guide, which is coordinated and overseen by the President of the Academy, must be uniform and follow the guidelines, including style guides, issued from time to time to Delegates, Legates and Regional Coordinators.
  4. The Secretariat of the Academy periodically updates the Carnet degli Accademici (Roster of Academicians), made available to all members according to the modalities established by the President’s Council. In accordance, inter alia, with current law, the roster’s contents are considered private and no use shall be made thereof for personal, political, commercial, promotional or advertising purposes or for communications not strictly pertaining to the Academy’s cultural pursuits.
  5. The magazine, the Restaurant Guide and all other Academic publications, including those published locally by the Delegations, are prohibited from carrying advertisements relating to wine, food, restaurants, hotels or cooking schools.
  6. Delegations may, at their own expense and on their own initiative, publish the proceedings of the cultural meetings they organise and other projects related to gastronomy, subject to authorisation by the President’s Council. Such publications may not be sold or distributed in any form other than to the members of the relevant Delegation or Study Centre without prior authorisation by the President’s Council.
  7. Delegations, Legations, Study Centres and Academicians are not authorised to launch websites or publish newsletters, notices, bulletins or other similar materials in the name of the Italian Academy of Cuisine or its regional bodies except to the members of their own Delegation, Legation or local Study Centre; however, with the consent and under the direct responsibility of their Delegate or Legate, they may participate in blogs and social networks as long as their content exclusively reflects that Delegation’s activity and the Academy’s logo appears alongside the name of the Delegation or Legation.

Article 18 – Convivial meetings, the Symposiarch and restaurant evaluation

  1. Convivial meetings among Academy members in the individual Delegations are essential to achieving the Academy’s institutional goals.
  2. Convivial meetings of Academy members in each Delegation shall be held at least once every two months, with a minimum number of 6 per year, besides appropriate frequent visits, including those by individual Academics, to monitor restaurants in the Delegation’s territory, preferably in the framework of an annual programme established by the Delegate with the Delegation Advisory Board.
  3. At the end of each convivial meeting, preferably organised by a Symposiarch chosen each time by the Delegate from among the Delegation’s members, the Academicians of the Delegation will conduct an evaluation by means of the appropriate ballot issued by the President’s Council. There will be no evaluation for convivial meetings held in clubs, private homes or locations that are not open to the public, or in venues outside the Delegation’s or Legation’s territory.
  4. The evaluations discussed in the previous paragraph, if pertaining to the Academy’s convivial meetings, may be reported in the relevant section of the Academy’s magazine.
  5. Restaurant reviews and evaluations included in the Academy’s Guides must be based on Academicians’ experience under a Delegate’s or Legate’s direction and responsibility.
  6. Smoking is prohibited during the Academy’s convivial meetings.
  7. Convivial meetings may be held outside the Delegation’s own area, up to a maximum of two per year, except where otherwise agreed by the Delegates. In such cases the Delegate outside whose area the event is being organised must inform the hosting Delegate in a timely manner, and in any case before notifying his/her own Academicians of the convivial gathering, and no evaluations shall be made, prizes or awards given or window stickers, pennants etc. presented.
  8. Before organising cultural and gastronomic events (remotely or in person) other than regular Academic convivial meetings, the Delegate must submit an event programme to the Secretary-General at least 15 days prior to the event, which must also be authorised by the Secretary-General.
  9. Delegates must obtain the Secretary-General’s authorisation before using the Academy’s name or logo or representing the Academy during events.
  10. Other than where paragraph 7 above is applicable, for Academic events to be held outside a Delegation’s territory, the proposing Delegate must obtain authorisation from the Secretary-General, who must receive the event’s programme at least 30 days before the event as well as the opinion of the Delegate from the hosting territory and the relevant Regional Coordinator, if any.
  11. No promotion or commercial activity may occur during convivial meetings and other Academic events other than through the Academy’s own publications or other activities.
  12. Reports about Academic activities other than regular convivial meetings shall be sent to the Academy’s Secretariat for possible publication in the Academy’s magazine.

Article 19 – The annual information sheet


By February of each year, Delegates must send the Secretariat the information sheet established by the President’s Council, reporting on the previous year’s activities.

Article 20 – Transitional provision

Members who are on the Honour Roll at the moment when these By-laws are approved shall retain their privileges.