The glory and fame of the Renaissance Period are hot topics you could hear these days as you dine and wine at the Customs House Library!  Be thrilled with what history has brought to our doorsteps:  You would know for instance that in 1533, Ferdinand Magellan's ship returned to Spain without him, because he had perished in a battle with the natives in one of the smaller islands in the Philippines in 1521! However the sea routes that Magellan had discovered also opened the way to the importation of spices to the Old World and the great wealth that the trade had brought to those who had followed Magellan’s routes. Those spices are actually mixed in the food being served you as you wine and dine at your Library.  Be informed about the gastronomic trends of the “Golden Age”—that’s the other name for the Renaissance.  Listen to the Romans adventurousness that set the paths to further explorations of the world’s hinterlands. Know the influence of world politics, of kings and queens and their damsels, and of renowned theatres, over navigators as they moved over lands and seas seeking for bitter- and better-tasting spices. You will hear all these as you listen to the topic of Renaissance food. A free talk brought to you by the City of Sydney Library.

Here are the venues and the time: Customs House Library, 31 Alfred Street, Circular Quay, 12 February 2008, 12.15pm - 1.30pm.  Glebe Library, 186 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, 5 April 2008, at 1.30 pm - 2.45 pm.

While these events are free, you need to call for bookings: (02) 9242 8555; (02) 9298 3060.