Artichoke production in Italy Artichoke production in Italy Artichoke production in Italy has a long history. Italy is the world's largest producer of artichokes. With Spain and France, the three countries produce more than 80% of the world's artichokes. There are two theories as to its origin: artichokes may have come from the Levant, derived from the cardoon or thistle through a cross-fertilization process, while others attribute it to the work of Italian horticulturists. The first record of artichoke cultivation in Italy was during the fifteenth century in Naples, where it was considered a new food species. In 1466, Filippo Strozzi brought the first
Artichoke (company) event in Liverpool featuring "La Princesse", a giant mechanical spider. "Artichoke" has received praise from the press for their productions: a review in The Observer wrote: "a two-woman company called Artichoke ... are one of the most vital of theatrical forces", and Marriage and Webb transformed the Salisbury Festival from a local event into what The Times called "a miracle of modern British culture". Marriage and Webb won the 2006 Women of the Year Shine Award for an outstanding achievement in the arts, and were listed in Time Out's list of 100 Movers and Shakers in London in November of