Tuscany is rich in local events that celebrate community. Small festivals and village fairs are part of our heritage, and they are rich in popular culture and wisdom. The year is punctuated with events, but many take place in summer, when they bring life to the quiet villages and towns.
We are happy to help you discover some of the local festivities that are dedicated to food, wine, and conviviality. Below is a calendar that summarizes the most important events; for more information, please check out the websites for the surrounding towns and villages.
In the Valdichiana village, between December and January, there is the exhibition of nativity scenes organized by the township with the Comitato dei Presepi.
Five local contrade (districts) take part: il Casato, le Caselle, la Ceppa, Montemaggiore, and il Poggio. Each of them recreates a scene from the Nativity.
Foiano is a magical kingdom for carnival: each year between February and March, King Giocondo opens the doors to a merry ritual that has its roots in the Renaissance: 1539. This is the oldest carnival in Italy, and it is a reenactment of the rivalry between the Rustici, Nottambuli, Azzurri and Bombolo workshops.
The challenge consists in the construction of papier-mâché giants: allegorical floats up to 16 meters high move through the streets of the old town accompanied by masked parades with hundreds of people.
This event celebrates the arrival of Spring in Torrita, in the Valdichiana Senese. The Palio has been held every year since 1966, every Sunday after St Joseph’s Day (19 March), in honor of carpentry, which was a very important trade to the town.
Eight contrade (neighborhoods) take part in the event, which is kicked off a few weeks earlier with both cultural and gastronomic initiatives that delight many. The medieval banquet and the opening of the taverns are key events!
Spring explodes in Lucignano in May with the traditional parade of floats covered in seasonal flowers. This is “the Maggiolata,” a highlight of the year in one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, in the heart of Tuscany, perched on a hill overlooking the Valdichiana.
The competition draws on the participation of rivaling neighborhoods and the spectacle also offers a dive into local folklore.
June offers a kaleidoscope of events and initiatives in the towns around the Valdichiana of Arezzo and Siena. There’s so much to choose from!
It all starts in Cortona with the Giostra dell’Archidado, a crossbow competition held on the second Sunday of the month. In Bettolle, between the end of May and the early days of June, there’s the homage to our White Giant, or rather the Chianina cattle, a key element in our local cuisine. In the Val d’Orcia, in the town of San Quirico, and specifically in the Horti Leonini, young people from the four sections of town compete in flag-throwing and crossbow-shooting. In Castiglion Fiorentino, on the third Sunday of the month, there’s the Palio dei Rioni, an ancient event that offers insight into the rivalry between the town’s districts, as jockeys ride beautiful racehorses in a hold-your-breath race. In Arezzo, at the end of the month there’s the famous joust known as the Giostra del Saracino: this ancient competition draws on the deep rivalry that exists between the four quarters of the city. People coming out in full force to support their team of jousters as they joust against the Buratto, a dummy depicting a Saracen who threatens the people of Arezzo.
July is the most eagerly awaited month of the year for the Sienese, with the famous Palio di Siena. This horse race takes place in the Piazza del Campo and is an event of national importance, attracting thousands of tourists and visitors to the Tuscan capital for a unique spectacle each year. The city’s contrade (or neighborhoods) challenge each other in the race with jockeys riding bareback. It’s a spectacle rich in extraordinary emotions.
Beginning at the end of July and lasting into early August is the traditional appointment with the Sagra della Ranocchia (Festival of the Frog): this event evokes the generations of people engaged in fishing for frogs who then cooked them according to tradition by the housewives of the small village.
This is a key event in Cortona’s summer calendar of food-related events. Huge barbecues are set up in the Parterre gardens where heaps of T-bone steaks are cooked for guests. The event is always well-attended.
For the night of San Lorenzo, the city is transformed into a stage for Calici Sotto le Stelle (Goblets under the Stars), an event dedicated to the tasting of Cortona Syrah wines. On the last Sunday of August, Montepulciano celebrates with the Bravìo when the eight neighborhoods of the medieval city compete in an uphill wine barrel race through the narrow streets of the historic center.
This time of year is punctuated with events in Valdichiana and the surrounding areas of Villa Corte delle Stelle devoted to wine and olive oil. For example, in Montepulciano, food stands offer dishes featuring ‘ocio’ (duck) meat. Wineries in the area, busy with harvests, open their cellar doors to visitors who want to take part in the vineyard rituals. During the October-December period, it’s time for the ‘olio novo’ (new oil). At this time the key dish is grilled bread with the green gold, extra virgin olive oil that has been freshly pressed and is ready to tickle the palate of gourmets.
The staff of Villa Corte delle Stelle is at your disposal for suggestions and advice. After all, a holiday needs to be relaxing, but also fun and exciting!
