December 4, 2019 - It has been 88 years since scientist Massimo Sella discovered the capital of truffles in the heart of Buzet.

And thanks to his diary and records, the history of Istrian truffles and Buzet as a truffle town is written, reports Glas Istre.

"Just 220 meters from the Albergo alla Fontana Hotel, between December 9 and 11, 1931, a half-kilo truffle was found. This is the center of truffles today! Thanks to the record of Istrian scientist Massimo Sella from Rovinj, an avid photographer and nature lover, there are clues to the history of Istrian truffles, as well as the history of Buzet as a truffle town. When the councilors declared it a truffle town 20 years ago on the eve of Subotina in September, it was because of tourism branding, and we have a historical stronghold that this is the case. Buzet justifiably bears the name of truffle town,” says Buzet native Robert Marusic.

Marusic is from a truffle family traditionally engaged in the truffle hunt in Sovišće, and actively involved in the promotion of Buzet as the town of truffles.

Massimo Sella was born in 1886 in Biella. He completed his natural sciences in Rome to become director of the Rovinj Institute for Marine Research in 1924, where he left behind an extensive archive. Today, a special foundation takes care of this. What is especially important for the Istrian truffle zone is that Sella determined the development cycle of the Istrian white truffle, an expensive underground fungus of the Latin name Tuber magnatum pico and marked the sites of Istrian truffles.

“Sella, with friends, including Clara Ida Countess Barbara Elisabeth, daughter of Johann George Hutterotta, the owner of St. Andrew island in Rovinj, today's Red Island, and truffle adventurers Carlo Testoni and Pietro Giovannelli, both from Pula, but a native of the Emilie region, stayed in the northern Istria region from December 9 to 11, 1931, and recorded something of great importance. Not far from the Fontana Hotel in Buzet, they pulled out a half-kilo heavy white truffle with the help of a lagotto dog, one named Dora. They later founded a truffle trade and export company in Livade, but that's another story. The subject is Buzet here,” Marusic says.

Marusic says he had heard about Sella's truffle discovery in Buzet before, and when looking for a photo of said truffle, the director of the Istria County Tourist Board, Denis Ivosevic, recommended that he go to Rovinj, where documentation about Massimo Sella and his works should be stored. Through Mirko Cetinski, he contacted the Rovinj Museum, in which the Sella Family Foundation set up an exhibition of photographs titled "Massimo Sella (1886-1959), Other Countries, the Second Sea”, a retrospective of valuable photo records of Rovinj, back in 2016. Tajana Ujcic gave him the contact address of the Sella Foundation in Italy, which operates under the name "Testimonianze per Massimo Sella". The Sella family today inherits the work of Massimo Sella.

“Through her assistant, Ellene Gallo, his daughter Selina Sella-Marsoni informed me that she was very pleased with my interest in the historical position of Buzet on the topic of Istrian truffle production and that she would relay to her coworkers to view the large archive Sella had left to her successors. She approved the submission of documentation that could assist me in my search. So I studied various records that, normally, given Massimo Sella's status, are more research-scientific than travel-tourism. We could not find a photo of this truffle, but Gallo sent me a copy of a key document entitled "Il truffle bianco in Istria" by Professor Massimo Sella, Istituto italo-germanico di Biologia marina di Rovigno d 'Istria. It was published by the Italian publisher Societa botanica Italiana, in Florence in 1932, and in the new botanical Italian magazine printed by Tipografia Mariano Ricci also from Florence,” Marusic concludes. 

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November 22, 2019 - The Istria County Tourist Board, in cooperation with the world-renowned auction house Sotheby's, is organizing the first-ever auction of the Istrian white truffle in London on Monday, November 25. 

Glas Istre writes that the event will be held at the prestigious Harry's Bar in Mayfair, an elite area of London's West End, one of the most exclusive private clubs featuring members of the London elite, international jet setters and UHNW individuals (ultra-high-net-worth individuals).

The Istria County Tourist Board will organize the auction in cooperation with the world-famous auction house, led by its chairman for the UK, Lord Dalmney, and with the support of the FOX Communication PR agency in London. During the auction, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy dinner based on the Istrian white truffle, and extra virgin olive oils and wines from Istria.

Zigante Truffles from Plovanija near Buje is also involved in this vital project for Istria. Namely, Zigante will provide the main ingredients for the auction and Istrian dinner. The auction will be conducted in four parts, and will be intended for both guests present and interested who will bid by phone.

In the first part, truffles of smaller sizes will be auctioned, and in the second part, medium-sized truffles, followed by the "Truffle Experience in Istria” package. In the end, the biggest truffle of the season will be auctioned, which resulted in a sold-out dinner and a long waiting list of truffle-hopefuls. Better yet, all proceeds from the auction will go to charity.

In addition to Istrian white truffles, Istrian extra virgin olive oils from the Chiavalon family will be served with truffle-based specialties. They will also be available at Harry's Bar tables for all guests to taste. 

Along with extra virgin olive oils, the attendees will be served wines from the Kozlovic family of Momjan - the Malvasia, Teran and Momjan Muscat.

“Istria has given increasing importance to the UK market, where many promotional efforts have been made over the years, increasing the number of UK guests, intensifying existing ones, and opening new routes - especially in the pre- and post-season. Also, since last year, the Istria County Tourist Board has been working with the London-based PR agency, FOX Communication, so that Istria becomes more and more present in the media and events there, which is why the region is seeing an increasing growth of British guests.

The Istria County Tourist Board is working intensively to make the region more famous in London and its surroundings, with a focus on medium- and high-spending power guests. Thus, the truffle auction is listed as one of the activities that will help build the image and reputation of Istria as a destination. I believe that this auction will contribute to the affirmation of the Istrian brand," said Istria County Tourist Board Director Denis Ivošević, adding that Istria is most commonly recognized worldwide for its gastronomy and lifestyle.

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