There exists a claim that the Italian Catherine de Medici was somehow responsible for French cuisine. I’m sure it would bring many Italians great delight if proof emerged that this was true. Unsurprisingly the claim is disputed and, to my knowledge, is more like a legend than a fact.
However, today Italians have a new source of bragging rights. According to a new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the (ancient) Italians are responsible for French winemaking. It doesn’t look like the study was funded by any Italians, but since this is out of my area, I’ll just refer you to the news coverage for more information.
