La Via Francigena -Don't miss it if you like hiking

The Pilgrim Route from the San Bernardo Pass to Rome.

The Via Francigena is the name given to the pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome.  In medieval times it was an important pilgrimage route for those wishing to visit the Holy See and the tombs of the apostles St Peter and St Paul.

The Italian part of this route starts in the village of Bourg St Pierre n the Swiss-Italian border.  From here walk the high mountain pass of St Bernard down to the Apennine mountains to the gorgeous Tuscan landscape as you make your walk down to Rome.  Because the first day’s walk takes place in the Alps, this part of the route can only be safely walked from June as it is likely to be snowbound up until then.  This of course means that you then arrive into Tuscany and the warmer parts of Italy in high summer so July or August are perhaps a better time to start the walk.

The full route from Bourg St Pierre to Rome takes 50 days/49 nights.  The route can be done in separate shorter sections that are outlined separately on our website.  Rest days can be added along the route – just ask and we will do our best to accommodate your wishes.

Not unexpectedly, the Via Francigena crosses Tuscany and many of its beatiful towns and villages.

LUCCA MEDIEVALE 2022

As the Covid-emergency slowly subsides, new activities are being planned all over Italy.

Lucca is no exception and on June 4 and 5 a new event is planned – a fair in medieval costumes – an opportunity not to be missed. Learn more at Lucca Medievale | Festa medievale con il villaggio degli artigiani, spettacoli di strada, torneo dei balestrieri e scontri fra uomini d’arme

HOME ACTIVITIES IN THESE CORONAVIRUS TIMES

Working from home over an extended period as in these Corona-times can become very difficult - indeed, particularly demanding if you also have small children at home. In these cases, television and video games often take over. But after a while boredom takes hold. That’s where a little creativity can help facing the days with a different spirit. Here are a couple of suggestions:

1)   COOKING - Italian cuisine is among the best and varied there is. Why not brush up on our recipe books or search for recipes online and prepare a lot of goodies? Obviously the most loved by children (and not only) will be cakes or biscuits. Pizzas, focaccias and homemade pasta are excellent alternatives!

2)   OLD TIMES GAMES - We can teach our children that fun is achieved with little. Doing somersaults, playing hopscotch, nursery rhymes, count and so on.

3)   VISIT MUSEUMS AND EXHIBITIONS ON LINE – With all facilities closed, we can start our own “Treasure hunt” visiting the digital archives and exhibitions that many museums can offer, for example https://www.uffizi.it/en/pages/digital-archives

CARNIVAL in TUSCANY

In Italy, as in all Catholic countries, Carnival is celebrated between January and March, in the period between Epiphany (January 6) and Easter (April 12, 2020).  The more important dates for 2020 include:

February 20th - Giovedì Grasso / February 23rd – Carnevale / February 25th - Martedì Grasso. The Carnival ends (or at least it should end) with Mardi Gras (Martedì Grasso or Fat Tuesday) and although in Italy it is not a day of festivity, on the occasion, there are events and parties everywhere, even in smaller cities. Even if the Lent starts, several Carnival parades continue the Sunday after Mardi Gras.

The word "carnival" comes from the Latin "carnem levare", a term that refers to the condition of abstinence from meat and fasting of the faithful during Lent (40 days before Easter).

The weeks of Carnival were a period of celebration with elements common to ancient traditions such as the Roman Saturnalia and the Greek Dionysian celebrations. The Carnival is celebrated today throughout Italy with colorful parades, floats and fun events for children and adults. The Carnival of Venice is certainly one of the most famous in Italy, but in Tuscany, there are also several very popular events including the Carnival of Viareggio and the Carnival of Foiano della Chiana.

ITALIAN REAL ESTATE PRICES ARE STILL DOWN

Unlike what we see in the rest of the EU, real estate prices are still falling in Italy - click for further reading.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS EVERYWHERE IN TUSCANY

Christmas markets all over Tuscany started already in November. However, it is in the weekends of December that Italians and tourists alike really stream out to the piazzas and quickly enter the “Xmas mood”. Among others, we would like to disentangle the Mercato del Campo in Siena on Dec. 6th and 7th: Here, in one of the most beautiful squares in the world the Xmas Market returns to its medieval origins and hosts a unique event of daily life. The "big market" celebrates the old traditions - the ones when the (independent) Republic of Siena - and the market operates and lives again according to the rules of that time.

In Firenze (Florence) the Xmas market started already on Nov. 22nd in Piazza Santa Croce and will continue until Dec. 22nd.

In Pietrasanta, the magics of the Christmas preparations live in the market "PietrasantaKlaus"

From 06 to 08 December, you can enter in the Xmas mood by visiting the various stands in the main piazza - offering banquets, carpentry workshops to make wooden games, floral workshops to make garlands and centerpieces, as well as a flesh-and-blood Santa Claus to whom deliver the letter….. and much more

Truffle Festival at San Miniato, Nov. 9/10 - 16/17- 23/24

Come on enjoy this unique festival! Choose one of the 3 weekends this month to attend.

The White Truffle from the San Miniato hills, a geographical truffle-producing area that extends towards the inland countryside of Pisa, is known as the Tuber Magnatum Pico, the Food of the Kings, and is the most valuable of this underground fungi. Located a few centimeters deep, they can only be found in a limited number of areas favored by nature for the particular, almost mysterious combination of forest fauna and geological substratum.

For more info: http://www.sanminiatopromozione.com/en/truffle

San Miniato - The Capital of Tuscan truffles

ANTIQUE MARKETS IN TUSCANY

Antique markets - large and small - are all around us in Tuscany. In the streets of Florence you can bump into one virtually every week end.

In Lucca the Antique Market occupies the center of the old town every third week end in the month.

In Arezzo another important antique market takes place every first week end in the month.

Lucca blessed by the Sun

A cloudy Autumn day over Lucca, but the Old Town was bathing in the sunshine! Live the Tuscan Dream

SAN MINIATO (Pisa) - Oct. 25-27 - Festival dedicated to the newly pressed extra-virgin olive oil

Despite the fact that adverse climatic conditions have jeopardized olive oil production in many parts of Italy, the festival for the new extra-virgin olive oil will take place in San Miniato, just 30 minutes’ drive from Pisa. This is an interesting opportunity for those who can appreciate good extra-virgin olive oil.

See more details: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/4cdfd0_b2ba17ff249743a49a6faf0042f2683e.pdf

PIETRASANTA - Back to the Middle Age on October 5 - 6

Come to the historic center of Pietrasanta - just 30 minutes drive from Lucca - and take a step back in time with the medieval market, historical processions, camps and flag-wavers, dances and knights, games with fire and themed lunches.

See for more info http://www.comune.pietrasanta.lu.it/home/comune/amministrazione-trasparente/organizzazione/articolazione-degli-uffici/turismo/eventi/pietrasanta-medievale-5-6-ottobre-2019

Corazzano - Oct. 5 and 6- Truffle Fair

As an appetizer, waiting for the National Truffle Festival in San Miniato in November, Corazzano (Pisa), invites you to taste the new truffles.

For more info: http://www.eventiesagre.it/Eventi_Sagre/21129484_Fiera+Mercato+del+Tartufo+Bianco+a+Corazzano.html

Monteriggioni | SLOW TRAVEL FEST | Sept 27 - 28 - 29

Three days of slowing down to enjoy the landscape

The colorful area of Monteriggioni, Abbadia an Isola and the antique roads of the Via Francigena are the setting for the Slow Travel Fest, an event totally dedicated to the culture of traveling at a slow and easy pace by foot or bike. The festival proposes something different every day: meeting travel authors themed excursions - following the antique railway tracks on the 23rd, nature walks, and shows, as well as concerts in the evening.

For more info: https://www.slowtravelfest.it/monteriggioni/?utm_source=discovertuscany.com&utm_campaign=DiscoverTuscany&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=%2Ftuscany-events%2Fseptember-in-tuscany.html

San Gemignano (Siena), Sept. 28 - Baroque Music in the most charming setting

During the hour-long concerts, you will be regaled with pieces from the best-known repertoire of Opera (Mozart, Bellini, Donizetti, Puccini, Verdi, etc), Italian Baroque (Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Pergolesi, etc) and Sacred Music (Bach, Pergolesi, Mozart, "Ave Maria" by Schubert). The performers are all virtuoso Italian and international singers and musicians.

For more info: http://www.accademiadeileggieri.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=2&utm_source=discovertuscany.com&utm_campaign=DiscoverTuscany&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=/tuscany-events/september-in-tuscany.html

Il Carro Matto in Firenze - Sept.29

Every year at the end of September, visitors in Florence will get to experience the arrival of the Carro Matto in to town from the nearby wine producing area of Chianti Rufina. Literally translated as “crazy cart”, the Carro Matto is pulled by a pair of white oxen and accompanied by a parade in historical costume, drums, flag throwers and even a cannon!

For more info: http://www.visitflorence.com/florence-events/carro-matto-grape-harvest.html

San Gimignano | 11th Edition of the Baroque Festival | Sept 15 - 22 - 26 at 6 pm

Baroque Music in the most charming setting

During the hour-long concerts, you will be regaled with pieces from the best-known repertoire of Opera (Mozart, Bellini, Donizetti, Puccini, Verdi, etc), Italian Baroque (Monteverdi, Scarlatti, Pergolesi, etc) and Sacred Music (Bach, Pergolesi, Mozart, "Ave Maria" by Schubert). The performers are all virtuoso Italian and international singers and musicians.

Greve in Chianti | CHIANTI EXPO | Sept 5 -8 - Grape harvest

Wine, wine, and more wine

If you want to celebrate the finished product of the gran vendemmia, then you need to head to Chianti and the wine EXPO. Local producers will have bottles to sample with the purchase of a souvenir glass, you can then stroll through the small town with the stands showcasing their finished products and inhaling the atmosphere of Greve in Chianti and the vendemmia (grape harvest). See for more info: http://expochianticlassico.com/en/

Lucca | MURABILIA | Sept 6 - 7 - 8 - High-quality gardening expositions

The marvelous backdrop of Lucca's Renaissance city walls will host Murabilia, which offers more than 200 specialized stands, conferences, workshops, lessons with the participation of special guests and uncommon plants and flowers species from all around the world. If you love flowers and plants, you should not miss this!

FIRENZE - Sounds and Colors- 31.8 to 14.9

Suoni e Colori - Sounds and Colors is a traditional music festival in the Florentine Valdarno, that has become adult: 30 years old!

From August 31 to September 14 the Festival is made of concerts held in the most interesting venues of Rignano sull'Arno: parish churches, villas and farms. 

The program of the Festival has got a leitmotiv which is borders, let's say no borders as music doesn't have them. The artistic director,  Maestro Fabrizio Checcacci has invited to perform Italian and Neapolitan artists, a Brazilian musicians and a group from Tunisia.

The very first event is a concert by the Masters of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino performing Classical Arias in the magnificent parish church of San Leolino on August 31.
If this concert is for free, on the other events a ticket of 10 Euros is due. 

Check the schedule here www.suoniecoloriintoscana.it