The Multiple Values of ‘Botteghe Storiche’ Food, Urban Spaces and Memory in Contemporary Milan (Italy)

The term ‘Botteghe Storiche’ (Historical Workshops) refers to the businesses – operating in retail sales, craft manufacturing, the provision of services or catering – recognised by the City of Milan and listed in the Register of Historical Workshops. This article explores the numerous values that various social actors attribute to the Historical Workshops and focuses on some of the city’s restaurants, trattorias and inns. The assumption is that value is not merely an economic factor, created in a commercial relationship, but, in the case of the Historical Workshops, it implies a series of meanings related to aspects of “history†, “tradition†and “traditional food†, which contribute to the design and creation of urban spaces. Through an analysis of documents, speeches by local politicians, participant observation and ethnographic interviews, the article clarifies the numerous and often contradictory ideas concerning value in these local urban spaces and puts them into perspective.