Historian/ Contributor
Davide Mantovani was born in Isola della Scala, a small town near Verona, Italy. Curious and passionate of beauty and human productions, he obtained a master’s degree in Cultural Heritage Sciences and Arts.  He is actively involved in associations that promote and defend locals traditions. With experience in cultivation; he organizes tours, lessons, exhibitions and festivals to educate and share evaporating traditions in hopes of rejuvenating with upcoming generations.

Davide developed a passion for Rice through his family heritage. During his youth, he attended his uncle’s family-run rice farm where he gained insight and perspective about Rice. Representing the family farm would lead him to NYC transmit the atmosphere of his land in the first Italian Risotteria. In NYC he met EunYoung at Randall’s Island Urban Farm and one year later, made a partnership with the farm by growing the first Italian rice varieties in NYC and teaching about Italian risotto’s tradition.

In 2015, he worked as incoming manager for the Slow Food Movement’s pavilion in the World Exposition of Milan. For six months, he retained the role of spokesman to visitors and press about the safeguarding of biodiversity and a "local food’s communities."

In 2016 he has proposed and realized a complex project to prequalify the entrance pavilion of the rice festival of Isola della Scala (the main festival on rice in italy) for the 50th anniversary levering on emotions by the deep rice's traditions and arts. He also curated a sensorial exhibition who took the name "Oryza, i giorni del riso" in which the visitors by tactile activities, sounds and fragrances were inviting to discover the world of rice.