Commuting to a palace might be tough but somebody has to do it. Such are the tribulations of Alberto Figna, who admits that he works in “an extraordinary place”. Figna is president and CEO of Alma culinary school, which occupies four floors of the magnificent Colorno Palace, a 17th-century masterpiece just outside the city of Parma that’s known as the “Versailles of the Dukes of Parma”. The venue is befitting of the institution, which was established in 2004 and sees 1,000 students pass through its doors every year – about 20 per cent of whom are from outside Italy.

“Alma is by some distance the largest, most recognised and most important Italian cooking school,” says Figna. His role, which he calls “complicated but also very stimulating”, is to develop the school and increase its international profile. Alma works with a network of global schools, which send students to Italy (on the day Monocle visits, there’s a delegation from Taiwan). It also participates in a venture in Bangkok called The Food School. “Alma is growing a lot,” says Figna. “And we believe that it can also grow a lot in the future.”

Located in the heart of Emilia-Romagna’s ‘Food Valley’ – land of cured ham and Parmesan cheese – Alma has a strong crossover with industry (pasta giant Barilla and tomato-sauce king Mutti are based in Parma), helping to get students into placements and working with guest teachers. There is a core staff of 17 chefs and 26 academic professors who teach international courses in English, as well as Italian-language programmes that cover everything from F&B to baking and pastry.

Figna, who has been in his role since 2023, says that he couldn’t do without his staff, which includes everyone from a café assistant to a graphic designer. They all contribute to creating a place of educational excellence (and where lunch, as you might expect, goes above and beyond). “Alma is a school where there is a great sense of belonging and where the students are very united,” he says. “We believe that they can go on to be the best ambassadors of the Italian way of life around the world.”