With February, Carnival season 2012 comes alive and Tuscany prepares to celebrate with big masked parades and events dedicated to Carnival.

Have you already prepared your fancy costume and bought some confetti and streamers?

If you answered “Yes”, then you have only to choose the destination to celebrate! Otherwise, do not worry, you still have a few days to find a pretty carnival costume .

In the coming weeks in Tuscany you will find many fun Carnival events, both in small towns and larger cities.

If you are still deciding where to celebrate this Carnival 2012, here are some ideas:

The Carnevale di Viareggio, is without a doubt, one of the most famous masked parades in Italy.

These are the official dates of the parades:
Sunday 5, 12, 19, 26 of February (starting at 3 pm)
Thursday 21st of February (starting at 230 pm)
Saturday 3rd of March (from 7 pm)
Entry tickets: adults €15, free entry for children under 10 years old.

Every year along the seaside avenues of Viareggio, visitors are involved in the big event with music, a beautiful parade and lots of fun.
The protagonists of this Carnival are certainly the allegorical papier-mache floats, mainly inspired to topical and political facts, competing for the final prize decided by the jury.

Here’s a little sample of the Carnival of Viareggio, with a video from a past edition: look at the Carnival video.

In Foiano della Chiana (in the province of Arezzo), the oldest Carnival of Italy takes place every year.

Fancy costumes, music and a whole series of events will involve visitors in a big party on the 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th of February.
Price: regular ticket €8, children under 12 year old have free entry.

The masked parades will start at 3 pm. More details (in Italian only), on the official website.

In the historical center of Arezzo on February 12th, 19th and 21st the “Carnevale Aretino dell’Orciolaia” will take place with float parades and attractions from all around Italy.
More information in Italian are available on the official website of the Arezzo Carnival.

The villages in the Mugello, a beautiful area located on north of Florence, offer many nice events during the Carnival period.
In the center of Borgo San Lorenzo (Piazza Dante) the appointment is on the 5th, 12th, 19th and 21st of February, from the 2:30 pm. Free entry.

Saturday, February 11th will be the turn of the “Carnevalino” around the streets of Vicchio , while on Saturday February 18th, the village of San Piero a Sieve will host the carnival event “San Piero in Maschera” with music and performances from 2 pm onwards.

In Florence you can find some of initiatives related to Carnival on the weekends of the 11th-12th and 18th-19th of February during the Chocolate Fair, organized in Piazza della Repubblica, in the historical city center.

At the moment there are no clear news about the date of the traditional colorful multiethnic Carnival parade usually organized in the Florence city center but we’ll keep you posted on any news.

We wish you an amazing Carnival 2012 in Tuscany!

Photo by brasilnaitalia

Hope you all had a wonderful New Year’s Eve and that 2012 is off to a great start!

Here are some of our pictures from some of the piazzas and musical concerts in downtown Florence. It was a bit chaotic – it was fun and great to see so many people out on the streets celebrating!

So once again this weekend we have another holiday coming up: New Year’s Day! Practically everything will be closed on Sunday, even those museums usually open on that day.

Like last weekend, on New Year’s Eve most everything will be open but closing about an hour earlier than usual. This includes the Uffizi and Accademia.

So after your late-night celebration on New Year’s Eve (see our post from yesterday offering suggestions of what to do), you might want to sleep in a bit on Sunday. No problem at all! But eventually you’ll get hungry and then after a meal you might want to do something in the afternoon, like see a little more of Florence .

Don’t despair – not everything is closed!

In particular, you’ll find the Capella Brancacci open in the afternoon, from 13-16.30 and Palazzo Vecchio from 14-19. If you’ve never seen the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, we highly recommend to go just so you can see the beautiful frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli (open from 11-19). What else is open? Here is a quick list: Casa Dante, the churches of San Miniato, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Trinità and Santo Spirito. If you’re in for a little trek to Fiesole, we highly recommend visiting the archeological area there which will be open .

On Monday, January 2, most museums that are usually closed on Mondays will remain closed, including the Medici Chapels and the Pitti Palace museums. However, very important since it is a last minute news: the Uffizi and Accademia Gallery will be open!!

January 6 – Epiphany

Yep, right on the heels of Christmas and New Year’s, we have another national holiday on January 6 when we celebrate the Epiphany. In Florence, there is a beautiful Cavalcade of the Three Magi with parade in 16th century costume in the afternoon that crosses the historical center, from Piazza Pitti to the Duomo. The magi deliver their gifts to the baby Jesus, part of the living crèche (nativity scene) set up in the Duomo. The procession starts around 2.30pm – don’t miss this spectacular procession if you’re in Florence!

As for what is open, on January 6 the Duomo will be closed since there will services throughout the day. The same goes for many other churches, such as San Lorenzo and Santa Felicita. The cupola will be closed, but the bell tower and baptistery will be open in morning. The Uffizi and Accademia and other main state museums will be open following their regular hours, including the Bargello, the Pitti museums and the Medici Chapels. Here is a complete list of museum hours: notice that the Uffizi and Accademia are marked as being closed on January 2, but a very recent notice by the museums say they will be having a special opening. Remember to buy your tickets to the Uffizi online to avoid any lines!

We wish you have a spectacular start to 2012!!

Will you be welcoming 2012 in Tuscany? Many restaurants, discos and pubs organize special dinners or events (at fixed prices, where you need to reserve ahead of time) but there are also events planned for spending New Year’s Eve at the opera, watching a play or listening to music in the the main squares of the main Tuscan cities!

To help you plan exactly where you’ll be on the stroke of midnight December 31st, here are some ideas:

In Florence

If you prefer to join the crowds outdoors, the city of Florence selects five squares across the city to stage 5 different types of musical concerts. You can head to Piazza della Stazione in front of the Santa Maria Novella train station for rock/pop music which turns out into the main New Year’s Eve event in Florence. This year, starting at 9pm, dance to the Street Clerks then enjoy Pippo and his Polar Penguins and then dance to the beat of the Brunori Sas. At midnight, Italian rapper and big bill Caparezza takes the stage to make the city dance!

If you’d like a more classical atmosphere, head to Piazza della Signoria where Palazzo Vecchio and the Loggia dei Lanzi are the perfect backdrop for the Ukraine Philharmonic Symphony of Donetsk directed by Giuseppe Lanzetta. The concert is set to start around 11pm.

Another option is to go to Piazza della Repubblica for electro-swing and ethnic beats by the Les Italians Orchestra starting at 22.30 and after midnight by The Sweet Life Society.

Head to Piazza della SS Annuniziata for gospel music to listen to the Golden Voices of Gospel or head to Largo Annigoni to dance to deejay set before midnight and continue with the DJ beat of Strange D(J)ays starting at 1am.

If you prefer an indoor celebration, you can go to the big classical musical gala at the new Teatro dell’Opera di Firenze with a rousing ringing in of the the new year as orchestra director Zubin Mehta conducts pieces by Beethoven, Ravel and Rimskij-Korsakov. Cost: €110 for concert, dinner can beforehand at €80 additional (you can buy tickets at this link.

Another great musical gala will be held at St. Mark’s Anglican Church: the Operetta Gala will feature selected acts from Verdi’s La Traviata, Bizet’s Carmen, Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss and others, as well as buffet dinner and champagne along the Arno around midnight (www.concertoclassico.info) Cost: € 96.

In Siena

If you’ll be in Siena or close by, the celebration to welcome the new year in the stunningly beautiful Piazza del Campo should be unforgettable. The first part of the evening (from 10:30pm to midnight) Danny Rose Paris will present video projections celebrating 150 years of Italian unity. After midnight, the square will turn into a time machine going through all the famous night clubs worldwide over the last two centuries. If you want to continue the party after half past mdnight, head over to the Fortezza Medicea where the New Year’s party will continue on to 5am . Entry fee requested.

In Pisa

Lots of music in Pisa as well. In Piazza Carrara, starting at 6pm, the stage will host the Betta Blues Society, Alex Britti, Manu PHL e Working Vibes. Music of all types, but especially to make you dance – funk-rap show, reggae rock, funk and hip hop.

In Piazza Garibaldi, the hard-fold Tuscan group I Matti dell Giuncaie will entertain the public while in Piazza Gambacorti you’ll find a live band and later on a DJ set.

The evening will end with the fireworks show from Ponte di Mezzo.

Elsewhere in Tuscany

In Arezzo, Pienza, Chiusi, Montepulciano – to name just a few - just head to the main piazza to celebrate with the locals with music, a large bonfire and lots of cheer to say good-bye to the old year, and welcome in the new!

Wishing you a happy and prosperous 2012!!

Christmas markets are everywhere in Tuscany! Continuing after our post from last week about Christmas in Florence, we’d like to point out a few markets in the region.

SIENA
From December 1, you’ll find a Christmas village and skating rink at La Lizza gardens.

VIAREGGIO
Starting December 8, you’ll find the Christmas market in Piazza Mazzini with lots of fun activities for the kids and for the family. Runs through December 26.

MARRADI
On December 11 and 18, live the holiday cheer in the historical center of Marradi, high in the Appenines betwene Florence and Bologna. Handmade items perfect for gifts and Christmas decorations and more, music and shows for the little ones make these Sundays before Christmas special.

PALAZZUOLO SUL SENIO
On December 8, 11 and 18 Palazzuolo celebrates Advent Magic, a market in the small mountain town to celebrate the holiday season. Beautifully decorated streets with many gift ideas, you’ll follow each street surrounded with Christmas songs while admiring the various Crepe/Nativity scenes. Santa Clause will be present for the little ones. Taste traditional winter dishes and enjoy the street entertainment and lights.

FIESOLE
On Tuesday and Wednesday December 13 and 14, the medieval cloister of the Badia Fiesolona within the European Union Institute in San Domenico di Fiesole opens up its doors to showcase Christmas items, from handmade Christmas decorations to many gift ideas and jewelry. Many stands will showcase the craftsmanship of artisans from across Tuscany. A Christmas concert will take place Tuesday afternoon.  From 3-9pm Tuesday, and 10am-6pm on Wednesday at Via dei Roccettini, 9 – Fiesole.

FLORENCE
Another two Christmas markets to point out in Florence, whose proceeds will go to charity:

AILO Christmas Bazaar: In the Pagliere near Porta Romana, the American-International League organizes a bazaar and lottery with all funds going to local non-profit organizations. Gifts, toys, house items, baked homemade cookies and other treats, books, Christmas decorations and so much more will be available. From 10am to 5pm.

Mercatino di Natale di Chicco: From December 8-11, the Caricentro organizes this market where you’ll find clothes, toys, books, house items, Christmas decorations and much more. Saturday afternoon entertainment will be available for the little ones. All proceeds go to the A.Ma.R.T.I. ONLUS (association dedicated to helping children with liver disease in Tuscany). At the Caricentro, Lungarno Generale dalla Chiesa, 13

Hope you find all your Christmas gifts soon!!

Photo credit: ComunicaTI

If you’ve walked anywhere in downtown Florence over the last few days, you’ve seen the Christmas lights appearing all over the city while shop displays have put up their Christmas decorations a few weeks ago. Tomorrow is December 1st: the holiday season is definitely here! If you’re looking for a special gift to take back home with you or just take in the holiday atmosphere, head to one of the following events dedicated to the holiday season.

Christmas Market – Piazza Santa Croce

November 30 – December 18 Every day, 10am-8pm Starting today, head to Piazza Santa Croce to travel to the traditional German/European Christmas markets – lots of ideas of gifts as well as warm wine and cider, bratwurts, crepes and more to snack on. The market continues until the 18th of the month.

Fierucola dell’Immacolota and di Natale – Piazza Santo Spirito

December 8 and 18 All day Every month on the 3rd Sunday of the month, you’ll find the Fierucola in Piazza Santo Spirito. All of the participating merchants are small family businesses that are dedicated to seeing high quality products: you’ll find organic produce, sauces, honeys, handmade items and much more. In December, aside from the Christmas one that falls on December 18th, you’ll also find a special edition dedicated to Virgin on December 8th but in Piazza della SS Annunziata, not in Piazza Santo Spirito.

Christmas in Town – Via delle Cascine

December 7-11 Every day, 10am-10pm December 11: 10am-9pm Market with lots of Christmas items and toys, a Santa Claus with his elves, a play area for children and lots of places where you’ll be able to eat local dishes and products as well as local “fast food”. There will be a lottery and shows where children can participate – fun for the family!

Ice Skating in Florence – Parterre, Piazza della Libertà

November 26 – January 8, 2012 Every day, 10am-11.30pm Fridays-Sundays open until 1am This week the ice skating rink at the Parterre opened up to allow all of us in Florence to enjoy some fun on the ice! The large central area is made into a large rink to hold up to 200 skaters. If you don’t have ice skates, don’t worry, you can rent them for € 6. If you’re looking for something to do on New Year’s Eve, a special party will be organized to welcome 2012! We hope you have a great December in Florence!

For Thanksgiving this year we decided to try something different; nothing is like my mother’s turkey so I wasn’t even going to try. So we decided to not only try something different but completely new. It was a wonderful opportunity to just go out to dinner and celebrate that way.

I had read about the restaurant Omero up in Pian dei Giullari/Arcetri right above Florence behind Piazzale Michelangelo organizing an evening with a Piedmont menu, giving you a chance to taste the regional cuisine as well as regional wines, such as the Barolo and Moscato d’Asti. I’d heard of Omero before but had never gone so this was the perfect chance to try it out.
As we arrived, we realized the front part is a store with lots of prosciutto hanging from the ceiling while the rest of the small shop contained oils, cheeses, sauces and much more. So even if you don’t eat here, it is the perfect stop for local specialties. We were a bit late yesterday so quickly headed further in and were soon seated in the main area just beyond.

The ambiance of the trattoria is elegant without being pretentious, the room is surrounded by large windows that have a view over the hills and of Florence. A large fireplace was to our back but it wasn’t lit last night, it hasn’t been particularly cold yet in Florence.

Getting to the menu, we had as a starter Tarta con Bagna Caoda + Battuta di Fassona con Castelmagno di Pianura: Wow, the tartare was delicious and I don’t generally eat it! It was infused with a citrus flavor making it really tasty. It was accompanied by a cool vegetable cake and a small selection of raw vegetables to be dipped in the warm, spicy sauce known as bagna caoda.

We were then served Panissa Vercellese, which we soon discovered was a risotto with beans. It was quite delicious and filling, in retrospect maybe a bit too much!

The main dish consisted of two types of meat, the Lonza di Maiale con Castagne were slices of roast pork with a chestnut sauce on top while the Brasato al Cacao e Barolo - was Barolo braised beef served with a cocoa sauce on top. Both were surprisingly delicious and very different from what is local Tuscan combinations.

The cheese plate with three types of cheese came next: a soft, creamy cheese similar to Gorgonzola but not as strong, a piece of the Castelmagno di Pianura we tasted in our starter dish which was semi-aged and a last, much aged piece of cheese. I don’t know the names but I’m going to have to find out, as they were all three very good in themselves. By this point my taste buds were a bit on overload, though.

Our dessert was called Dolce della Miando, which we discovered to be an amaretto based cake with pears, drizzled with chocolate sauce – yummy! Lastly, we were offered a few pieces of the softest, melt in your mouth chocolate with hazelnuts I’ve ever tasted. We were in heaven, maybe in glutton heaven given the amount we had put into ourselves .

Last but not least came surprise entertainment provided by Francesco Meraviglia who turned some card tricks for all of us: we truly do not know how he did managed to invisibly move cards from one stack of cards to another being held by members of the audience or how he managed to guess which ones were pulled by others from the deck. It was a great conclusion to the evening.

The wines

An important component of the dinner were the wines. Every dish was accompanied by a regional wine, all from the Poderi Luigi Einaudi estate for this special night. The first two courses were accompanied by the estate’s Dogliani – Vigna Tecc from 2009 which was light and fruity. The main meat dish was accompanied by the Barolo Costa Grimaldi 2006, also the perfect full bodied wine to go with the tasty sauces covering the meats. The cheese plate was accompanied by the Barolo Nei Cannubi 2004, full and velvety to counter as well as balance the strong flavors of the aged cheese. With our dessert nothing less than a deliciously fruity Moscato d’Asti.

The Gastronomic Tour

The evening was the first dedicated by Omero to the regional cuisines of Italy as part of the “Gastonomic Tour of Italy” to celebrate Ital’s 150 years of unity. In the following months, regions from the north and south will alternate to give both locals as well as visitors to Florence the chance to taste the great variety of Italian cuisine without having to travel all over the boot.

Dinner was € 40 per person, reservations are a must for these dinners. Given the chance to travel to another region of Italy through a meal, we look forward to going back soon, maybe to Sicily or Calabria. On any other night, you can still enjoy the trattoria’s menu of traditional Florentine specialties served in an elegant setting and a large wine cellar with over 300 wines. We will also have to head back to Trattoria Omero to taste their local dishes soon!

You can find more information on Trattoria Omero on their website as well as stay tuned for future special dinner events through their Facebook page.

Searching for great Piedmont Barolo and Moscato d’Asti? Take a look at Poderi Luigi Einaudi.

White truffle season is from October through December and simply grow wild, attached to the roots of oak, hazel, poplar and beech trees. They’ve tried to cultivate them, it can’t be done! It is a highly sought after flavoring by foodies worldwide that this autumn will be hard to find, even in Tuscany’s San Miniato, the white-truffle capital of the region. About a quarter of all Italian white truffles originate from the San Miniato area but there are truffles to be found all over various areas of Tuscany. Lower than average rainfall has made for truffles a real “treasure hunt” for apasionados!

The hunt for the “white treasure”, if not in the woods, can be at San Miniato’s Truffle Festival/Market this weekend and on the following two weekends (19/20 and 26/27) this November.

From 10am until 8pm, you get your chance to try everything imaginable with the delicate taste of truffles as well as buy all these tasty treats plus regional products. From white truffles to fresh cheeses to olives and sun-dried tomatoes to fresh means to wines, you’ll get a chance to taste and breathe the flavor of truffles along with the Tuscan products foodies dream of. In addition to the festival tents from which you can make a meal, restaurants in the town also abound offering affordable, truffle-laden menus.

The aroma of this underground fungus has been described as “disconcerting” and, like some flavors, the taste can be unimpressive by itself. But, when added to a plate of pasta, veal or even scrambled eggs, thin shavings of white truffle can transform a dish. Little is more – a good thing since the cost of the white truffle has shot up, doubling in less than a week for larger pieces (€2.500-3.000 per kilo). The increase is due to lower than average rainfall in the area as well as higher demand.

Given the popularity of the festival, you might have to reserve accommodations in San Miniato well in advance. But it’s proximity to Florence (less than an hour drive) also makes it a great destination as a day trip. San Miniato is also reacheable by train.

View the festival program on the San Miniato Promozione website.

From September 29, 2011 to April 15, 2012
Palazzo Medici Riccardi – Museo Stibbert – Museo Bardini – Museo Horne – Museo Salvatore Romano – Palazzo Davanzati – Fondazione Salvatore Romano – Museo Bandini – Museo Casa Rodolfo Siviero

Florence’s network of “Small Great Museums” has set a pretty spectacular offer for visitors to Florence over the next 6 months that will give visitors the chance to see a great deal of treasures off the beaten path for most visitors to Florence. Each museum has its special collection, many of them the personal collections of antiques collectors from the 19th century, the treasures they decided to keep instead of selling or auctioning around the world. These collections now are part of small, separate museums such as the Horne, Bardini and Stibbert – all named after the collectors themselves.

From now until April 15, the museums are showing off their collections with a special focus on the Florentine artistic craftsmanship and the golden era of when private antiques collectors in Florence were very active.

The exhibit at Palazzo Medici Riccardi presents a general summary of the era, while the Stibbert Museum offers an international exhibit of Florentine “maiolica” created by Ginori and Cantagalli. The Bardini museum reopens its Hall of Paintings, with the original setup Bardini used to display the works, at the center of which is the newly restored 13th century crucifix by Bernardo Daddi.
The Horne museum offers a collection of designs from Raphael to Constable, while the Palazzo Davanzati exhibits photographs by Elia Volpi that document the original furnishings of the house before they were sold in a large auction in New York during the Great War.

A very special way to see many treasures in Florence, particularly since a special “Treasure Pass” has been created at just € 10 to allow you to visit all* of the museums — a really good deal, since it also includes free entrance to the Fondazione Salvatore Romano, Bandini museum, Casa Rodolfo Siviero museum,  the Ceramic Museum in Montelupo and the Museo della Manifattura Galileo Chini and discounts on entry to Palazzo Vecchio, the Brancacci Chapel, the Santa Maria Novella museum and the Richard Ginori of Doccia Works Museum.

We highly recommend taking this opportunity to go off the beaten path and explore some of Florence’s smaller but no less rich museums!

For more information, see http://www.stanzedeitesori.it/

* Only exception is the Palazzo Davanzati, who will continue to charge its entry ticket of 2 euros.

Grapes and wine are the stars of many events planned these last few days of September in Tuscany.
The grape harvest is almost complete throughout the region, so it now the moment to celebrate the end of the harvest and taste the new, good wine from this harvest, but not only.

The Bacco Artigiano and the Carro Matto

In the village of Rufina, just 20km from Florence, the traditional Bacco Artigiano, an event dedicated to wine and local crafts, will be taking place from today Sept. 22 through Sunday the 25th. There will be music, wine tastings and local food products.

On Saturday 24 the “Carro Matto” (literally Crazy Cart) leaves from Rufina to reach Florence. At 3pm, accompanied by a historical procession, the cart will start from Piazza Duomo and arrive in Piazza della Signoria. Here, with a symbolic cerimony, the new wine will be presented to the government of Palazzo Vecchio.
The cart, pulled by 2 powerful oxen, carries an original pyramid built with over 1500 stacked flasks of wine.

Look at some nice pictures of the carro matto !

Grape Harvest Festival

In Impruneta on Sunday, September 25th you’ll find the Festival of the Grape, with its colorful allegorical floats prepared by the four city neighborhoods being paraded through the town. The event will start at 3pm, with a traditional exhibition by the Philharmonic Giuseppe Verdi.

In Chiusi (in the province of Siena) from today, September 22 through the 25th, the traditional festival dedicated to Grapes and Wine will be taking place. The schedule includes wine tasting, live music and many special events.

Wine Town 2011

If you’re in Florence, on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 you’ll find “Wine Town” all over the city, an event dedicated to quality wine. Guided wine tastings, but also music and live performances will take place in some of the most beautiful historical buildings in Florence, including Palazzo Pitti, Palazzo Corsini and Palazzo Davanzati.
For more information, visit the official website

We wish you a delicious weekend!