Meloni visits Vinitaly wine fair in Verona.

Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni on Monday said the government is working on establishing a Made in Italy high school to underline "the deep bond that exists between our culture and our identity".

Addressing a group of Italian agricultural students at the 55th Vinitaly wine fair in Verona, Meloni described culture and identity as "the most precious thing we have".

Nicola Fratoianni, leader of the left-wing Sinistra Italiana, joked that Meloni could risk a "very hefty fine" for the Made in Italy school name under a draft bill launched in recent days by her right-wing party, Fratelli d'Italia, which would penalise the use of English terms in official communications.

Since taking office last October, Meloni's nationalist government has pushed the Made in Italy brand and recently launched a bid to have Italian cuisine inserted on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.

During her visit to Vinitaly, Meloni recalled that Italy is the world's biggest wine producer and hailed the Italian wine sector as "a fundamental part of our identity".

Visitors to this year's Vinitaly can admire two masterpieces on loan from the Uffizi - paintings of the wine god Bacchus by Caravaggio and Guido Reni - as part of a contentious deal organised by Italy's culture and agriculture ministries.

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