{{Short description|Chocolate festival held in Perugia, Italy}} {{One source|date=March 2024}}
thumb|EuroChocolate 2008 [[File: Eurochocolate - Arrampicata.jpg|thumb|A climbing wall made to look like chocolate, at EuroChocolate 2009]]
'''EuroChocolate''' is an annual chocolate festival that takes place in Perugia, in the Umbria region of central Italy.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Torquati |first1=Biancamaria |editor1-last=Cavicchi |editor1-first=Alessio |editor2-last=Santini |editor2-first=Cristina |title=Food and Wine Events in Europe: A Stakeholder Approach |date=2014 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9781317751939 |chapter=Eurochocolate: An instrument of valorization for Perugia and its territory}}</ref> The festival has been held since 1993, and is one of the largest chocolate festivals in Europe. EuroChocolate draws nearly one million tourists and Italian natives each year. It lasts for nine days and is located in the squares and areas of Piazza Italia, Piazza Della Repubblica, Corso Vannucci, Via Mazzini, Via Fani, The Terrace of the Covered Market, and Piazza IV Novembre.
Italy's most well-known chocolate company Perugina (now belonging to Nestlé), known for their ''Baci'', is represented along with several other brands such as Lindt and Caffarel. EuroChocolate offers many snack and souvenir options such as chocolate-covered bananas, chocolate liqueur, chocolate moulds, and chocolate bricks.
EuroChocolate offers a variety of activities including chocolate art displays, experimental chocolate tastings, street performances, and chocolate sculpting. In recent years, an igloo has been constructed out of {{convert|3,600|kg}} of chocolate bricks. There is even an opportunity to make a chocolate day spa appointment. In 2003 the largest chocolate bar in the world was constructed. It measured over {{convert|7|m}} in length, {{convert|2|m}} in height and used {{convert|5980|kg}} of dark chocolate and thousands of hazelnuts.
EuroChocolate has extended to other Italian cities, such as Rome and Turin.
==References== {{Reflist}}
== Further reading ==
* {{Cite journal |last=Chirieleison |first=Cecilia |last2=Montrone |first2=Alessandro |date=October 2013 |title=Evaluating local government costs and revenues: The case of an Italian privately owned for-profit event |journal=Tourism Management Perspectives |volume=8 |doi=10.1016/j.tmp.2013.08.001}}
==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.eurochocolate.com/}} * [http://shokoladinka.ru/prazdniki-mira/42-festival-shokolada-v-italii a report about the festival]
Category:Food and drink festivals in Italy Category:Chocolate events Category:Perugia Category:Tourist attractions in Umbria Category:1993 establishments in Italy Category:Annual events in Italy Category:Cuisine of Umbria Category:Italian chocolate
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