Staging the table. A long journey

«Staging the table. A long journey», by Ana Marques Pereira, doctor and historian

From ancient times to modern times the table, as a place to socialise during meals, has seen a number of changes. Slowly at the beginning until the rapid evolution of recent years, places, objects, rituals and purposes have been changing. Those changes have affected the lifestyles of the people who accept the established norms of their time without giving them due consideration.

Important moments of celebration and socialisation are suspended nowadays due to the pandemic that has brought about the greatest of changes: the interruption of sitting together at the table. But over time, much more than food, the representation of the act of eating together was created by the setting around those events in order to bring prestige to the host and to impress the guests.

This is the journey we will embark on.