By the sixteenth century, dairies had become widespread as places where cheese was made using milk both from farm owners and from tenant farmers. Production flourished during the Renaissance, and by the seventeenth century the need arose for specific protection of the dairy product. It was, in fact, Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, who, by an edict of 16127, regulated the designation of origin of Parmigiano Reggiano, thereby initiating the concept of protection of food products and, more generally, of the territoriality of the place of production8. This ante litteram regulatory measure represents, from both a legal and historical perspective, a valid model for tracing the historical evolution of the concept of protection as it is understood today. Moving to modern times, it is noteworthy that, in the twentieth century, the need for specific legal protection became increasingly apparent. Since that both the production area and techniques have remained unchanged over the centuries – even if with some innovations – it was the producers themselves who first recognized the need for regulations to preserve and protect these distinctive features. In 1934, producers in the Parma, Reggio Emilia, Mantua and Modena areas expressed the need to protect their cheese with a common trademark. This led to the creation of the consortium, known at the time as the Consorzio Volontario Interprovinciale (Interprovincial Voluntary Consortium) and now the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Consortium), which adopted the oval trademark, still in use today, to identify cheeses suitable for sale and consumption as Parmigiano Reggiano and not simply as cheese. This initiative marked the beginning of the modern history of one of the most esteemed gastronomic products in the world. The opportunity to sketch the historical evolution of Parmigiano Reggiano must be accompanied by an examination of the development, from a legal point of view, of the regulatory framework that has supported its growth. 7 By notarial deed of 7 August 1612 (see Archivio di Stato di Parma), Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, decreed that only the cheese produced and matured within the territories of the Duchy could be designated as Parmigiano. 8 Historical data, here briefly recalled, may be found on the website of the Consorzio di tutela, www. parmigianoreggiano.com. I. Franchini, Il Parmigiano Reggiano tra tradizione e innovazione, Ed. Youcanprint, 2019; G. Ballarini, La forma dell’oro. Viaggio nella storia del Parmigiano Reggiano un’avventura sociale, Ed. Slow Food, 2021; C. Consiglieri, Parmigiano Reggiano DOC: modelli di sviluppo e proposte innovative per la realizzazione della qualità totale, Giuffrè, 1992. For a more detailed historical analysis, see also the bibliographic references published on the website of the Museo del Parmigiano Reggiano, at www.parmigianoreggiano.museidelcibo.it. 410 STEFANIA VASTA
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