Wow! Today is December 1^st and the countdown for Christmas has started! Florence has been lighted up with thousands of Christmas lights all around the city. As usual during the Advent there are several Christmas markets and lots of events all around Tuscany.

Christmas markets are the ideal places for finding unique Christmas decorations, handmade gifts and for tasting Christmas sweets and local products. Here you have a list of main Christmas markets in Tuscany 2010:

Florence:
From December 4^th to 12^th at Leopolda Station there will take place the annual fair about Christmas,  Florence Noël.
In Piazza Santa Croce will start today the classic German Christmas Market, that will go on until December 20^th from 10.00am to 8.00pm every day.

From December 3^rd to 5^th at Saschall there will be the Christmas Market organized by Italian Red Cross. Entrance will cost Euro 5,00.
On December 8th at the Pagliere in Via Machievelli, near Porta Romana from 10.00am to 5.00pm , there will be the annual Christmas bazaar held by the American International League of Florence (AILO) ONLUS. There will be sold new and vintage goods, as well as homemade cookies and cakes for raising money for charities in Florence and province.
In Piazza Santo Spirito on December 19^th there will be the Christmas fair.

Added Dec. 10: We just learned there is another Christmas market called Mercanatale on December 12 and 19, in Piazza Tasso at the Leopoldine where you can buy food products made by local producers, including just pressed extra virgin olive oil. Take the best of Tuscany back with you by being direct from the farmer! From mid-morning to late afternoon.

Mugello:
In Marradi on Sunday 5^th, 12^th and 19^th December the city center will host a large Christmas market. In addition on December 19^th you can get to Marradi from Florence by traditional  steam engine train.
In Palazzuolo sul Senio on December 5^th,8^th,12^th and 19^th there will be the Christmas market. There will also be a nice exhibition about the “1000 Nativities of Palazzuolo” until January 6^th.
In Dicomano the Christmas market will be on December 5^th, while in Firenzuola the Winter Market will be on December 12^th.

Chianti:
On December 8^th,12^th and 19^th in the particularly shaped Piazza Matteotti in Greve in Chianti there will be the Christmas market.
In Gaiole in Chianti the markets will be on December 5^th and 8^th from 10.00am to 7.00pm in Piazza Ricasoli.

Pisa and Lucca:
In the historical center of Pisa the Christmas market will take place under the Logge di Banchi and in Largo Ciro Menotti every day from 9.00am to 12.00am until December 24^th.
In Piazza della Cittadella and Via di Poggio in Lucca center there will be a Medieval Christmas market from December 10^th to 12^th.

Lunigiana:
In Fivizzano the market will take place on December 4^th,5^th and 8^th, while in Aulla it will be on December 18^th and 19^th.
In Pontremoli and surroundings there will be on display several beautiful nativity scenes from December 19^th to January 9^th.

Pistoia, surroundings and Montagna Pistoiese:
From December 4^th to January 9^th in Pescia there will lots of events related to Christmas that you can check on the Italian website http://www.vaiinduomo.com/. There will also be the Christmas market in Piazza della Maddalena.
In Pistoia under the Galleria Nazionale the market will take place from December 7^th to 12^th from 9.00am to 8.00pm.
On the mountains in Cutigliano from December 4^th to 12^th there will be Christmas Slow, a special event combining together the slow food and Christmas market. In addition there will be organized a special nativities’ itinerary.

Siena and surroundings:
In Siena on December 4^th and 5^th there will be a large market called Mercato del Campo, right in Piazza del Campo.
On December 18^th and 19^th there will be a nice Christmas market with arts and crafts in Torrita di Siena.

In the Chianti Classico region there will be many events: in Greve in Chianti there will be wine tastings, craft market and stars watching from 9.00 pm, in Castellina in Chianti the center will be animated by street musicians, craft market, wine and food tastings, and in Gaiole in Chianti wine and food tastings will start at 6.00 pm.

In Siena wine tastings will take place under the Loggia of Palazzo Pubblico from 9.30, together with guided tours to the Civic Museum and to Torre del Mangia, while in San Gimignano there will be in Piazza Sant’Agostino from 9.00 pm.

There will be also wine tastings and other events in Montepulciano, Castelnuovo di Berardenga, Castiglione d’Orcia and Campiglia Marritima, as well as other minor destinations. In fact the calendar of Calici di Stelle 2010 have many different events scheduled.

So look up high in the sky for your falling star while drinking a good glass of wine, and don’t forget to make a wish!

Finally it’s summer with hot days, unfortunately the heat has also called given life to lots of mosquitoes as well. The gray rainy days of just two weeks ago are a memory and summer begins with the first Palio of the year. In fact, today July 2 is the Palio of Provenzano. I won’t go to Siena but I’ll watch it on TV while sipping something cold in the company of friends.

Tomorrow, Saturday, I want to relax. I’m planning a day out at the swimming pool. There are several outdoor public pools here in Florence (Bellariva along Lungarno Aldo Moro, Costoli near the stadium and Pavorniere at the Cascine) but I want to go out to the Tuscan countryside in Greve in Chianti where a very nice outdoor pool is surrounded by olive trees and vineyards. For dinner I’ll head to Certaldo, the birthplace of Boccaccio. The “In the dream of Sir Boccaccio” will be taking place, bringing to life Boccaccio’s characters. Starting at 7.00 pm, the streets of the old town are animated by the historical parade made up of 180 actors in beautiful medieval costumes that will then recreate scenes from Boccaccio’s Decameron.

On Sunday I’m planning to go to the great medieval festival in Monteriggioni called Monteriggioni di torri si corona (Monteriggioni Crowned with Towers). The festival brings Monteriggioni back to its ancient medieval splendor for two long weekends in July. Knights’ tournaments, jugglers, jesters and musicians animate this beautiful medieval fortress. Events start at 5.00 pm and go on until 11.00 pm. I prefer going on Sunday because Saturday is a really crowded day. The best day is generally Friday, but I do have to work sometimes

Hope everyone has a nice weekend in Tuscany!

Finally June has arrived! From the weather you wouldn’t say it, but I’m not worried for my plans for this weekend in Tuscany. Yes, this weekend I don’t plan to stay in Florence but plan on going around Tuscany. So, these are some of my plans.

Saturday morning early wake up, about 9.00, because I want to go to local markets. First I want to go to Impruneta and then to Greve in Chianti. I want to have a “light” lunch in Greve eating some schiacciata (Tuscan bread) filled with sbriciolona (a typical ham) at the Macelleria Falorni in the main square. Then I’ll head to Siena, have to be there before 5 p.m., because at that time starts a big treasure hunt in the historical center. The event is the conclusion of the great wine festival Chianti è. The treasure hunt will also meet the traditions of the Palio and will end with a typical dinner in Contrada. English speaking staff will assist you and reservations are required.

On Sunday I’d like to go to Cortona for the Giostra dell’Archidado. This a beautiful Medieval Festival, whose origins date back to the Middle Ages, animating the streets of Cortona with more than 300 people dressed in rich historical costumes, as well as knights and horses. At 11 a.m. there is the last heat, called Provaccia, and at 5 p.m. the horse tournament takes place. If you’re in Cortona on Saturday, there is also a special parade and flag-throwers the evening prior.

If instead I’m too tired after the treasure hunt in Siena on Saturday, I’ll go to Montespertoli for the Chianti Exhibit. It is an important wine and food festival that on Sunday features a nice handicrafts market. You can taste good Chianti wine and local products. On the way back from Montespertoli I can stop in Chiesanuova for the Pine Nut Festival. I like this festival because it’s still a genuine Tuscan festival, where you eat good food, drink excellent wine and don’t spend too much.

So, I have not yet figured out my plans for this weekend in Tuscany, but I’m sure I’ll have fun! How about you – share your plans with us!

If you happen to see a Fiat 500 around Florence making sounds like a rooster, don’t worry, it isn’t a maniac out driving having fun. The cars making the rooster’s cock-a-doodle-do are actually promoting an upcoming event in Chianti’s wine region, Chianti Classico, whose symbol is the black rooster.

Starting May 29th and continuing on to June 5th the event “Chianti è” is an important wine festival organized this year to promote the wine and culture of Chianti Classico, the most regulated and traditional of the various Chianti denominations. Eight days of wine tastings, open cellars, exhibits, concerts, guided tours, cooking classes and much more.The wine festival offers a rich calendar full of events for discovering Chianti Classico wine and culture. In addition, you can win a two-person stay in Chianti and many Chianti gadgets. You just need to ask for your Passport Chianti è and then get it stamped every time you attend an event. You can ask for your Passport at infopoints in Greve in Chianti and Castellina in Chianti.

Some events are free while others are not, even though prices are reduced. If you want to save 5% on all paid-admission events and on purchases, you can buy the Calssico è Card for 10 euro at infopoints. For more information about the events, schedules, locations and much more visit the official website Chianti è.

So, let’s raise our glasses and toast!

From April 16 to the 25th the 12th European Culture Week will be taking place all over Italy and Europe and thus in Tuscany as well. The event, successfully organized by the Italian Ministry for Cultural Assets and Activities, opens State museums, monuments, archeological sites, archives and libraries, both for Italian and foreign visitors with free entrance.

In Italy there will be over 2900 events during the week, with over 200 just in Tuscany. Free guided tours, as well as special exhibits and events, will be organized across the region, such as the extraordinary opening of the Gardens at Villa La Pietra and its Acton Collection.

The European Culture Week is certainly a unique occasion to discover and visit unique Italian masterpieces, as well as hidden Tuscan treasures enriching your unforgettable holidays in Tuscany. Aside from free entrance into state museums, you can enjoy a full schedule of events.

The Civetta or Owl contrada won the race after a 30 year dry spell. No other contrada had waited so long for such a sweet victory. One could say that nature just took its course: running after sunset helped the nocturnal creature as it entered the race at its prime time for activity.
The contrada, known as the “prior” district for having hosted the priors of the districts during a time of conflict with city hall in 1887, was also able to secure victory thanks to the ability of its jockey in taking the spot assigned to the Unicorn, its great rival, and then in masterly handling the experienced horse it had received through lottery.

Lots of cheer and celebration continues to take place in this small district, while the Porcupine district smiles at the fact that their rival, the Wolf, now has the honor of wearing the “cuffia”, or grandmother’s bonnet, symbol of the unhappy distinction of going the longest time without wins.
The Wave flipped out at the mossiere for allowing the start of race to be valid while their horse was turned in the opposite direction and now gnaws over its misfortune and the teasing of all its adversaries.

The mossiere seems to hold too little power and for the last few races seems to not have any control over the behavior of the jockeys. In the interest of the Palio, some procedures should be adopted to counteract their behaviors, such as hitting them with economic fines or excluding them from the next race.

Even if Sienese might consider this a blasphemy (for which we excuse ourselves beforehand), we propose the drastic idea of penalizing misbehaving contrade by making them start the race from the second row – where the Wave found itself just the other day but facing the right way. This  might just prove to be the right deterrent to the jockeys that keep ignoring the calls of the mossiere.

In the meantime, there is talk in Siena of celebrating in using the two Palios of 2010 to celebrate the 750th anniversary of their victory at the Battle of Monteaperti over the Florentines. Sienese can certainly gloat over a victory for a very long time. We’d like to bet that the drappellone or prize for the Palio will certainly not be painted by an artist from the city of the Lily as it was this past edition.

The Palio of the Assumption took place on the 16th of August in Siena’s Piazza del Campo as it does every year, but this particular edition truly showed its ancient, exciting roots more so than past races.

It all began with the traditional Sienese way of sorting out who had the best chances of winning and this race saw a serious factor to be considered: “4 greens” would be racing on the piazza that day (contrade with green in their flags) and this is believed to be a portent of something unpleasant to come.

To start off, the weather was so unpleasant that it impeded not one but two trial runs. This also made it necessary to lay down another layer of tuff on the piazza almost as the drums were starting to beat.

Thankfully, the historical procession that preceded the race was beautiful and everyone then turned their attention to the start of the race.

For anyone who has not witnessed a Palio before, you should know that more or less there is a time when all the horses should be ready to start but that the start of the real race is not set. A large hemp rope marks the start line, and here is where the horses start to line up and only once they are in a particular, predetermined position is there a possibility for the race to begin. Luck, the real and undisputed director of this race, sent three sets of long-standing rivals to the rope: Nicchio/Montone (shell/ram), Aquila/Pantera (eagle/panther), and, in particular, that of Oca/Torre (goose/tower). The lottery that assigned the horses was rather homogeneous, with various expert and victorious horses. Drago (dragon), Tartaruca (tortoise), Torre and Oca got the favored horses.

When Scompiglio, the horse jockey for Drago, finally “flanks” his horse to take the lead, the Oca takes advantage to both slow down Torre and surge in front of it; at the head of the race thus we found Drago with his excellent horse who unfortunately slips at the Casato, loses his jockey and in the crash blocks the recovery of the Torre who from then on finds itself obstructed by the “shaken” horse that continues to run on its own. At the lead, the Oca seems to have a clear road ahead.

At this point there is desperation in its purest form in the contrada of the Torre: not only does victory seem to slip through its fingers, but in the lead is its worst enemy.
And as one knows, in Siena it is important to win the race but it is almost as important that the contrada’s worst enemy contrada not win as well.

The unthinkable then happens: the Bruco (caterpillar!), with a horse and jockey known as Gingillo, or “knick-knack”, neither of which have won a race before, starts to slowly gain on all the horses ahead of it, and in the last possible moment and with a great surge of strength, passes the Oca and wins the race! All predictions by English bookmakers on the eve of the race go out the window, let’s hope they’ve learned their lesson. Incredible party by the “brucaioli”, a victory rendered even more spectacular since unexpected, and thus maybe a bit less expensive than it otherwise might have been.

The sky above Siena is clear but not just because of the wind; even if there had been a few clouds, the enormous breath of relief the “torraioli” gave out would have sent them on their way.
The Bruco won and thus off we go to unfold the flags and join in the celebration of the allied contrada and the narrow escape from danger.

On a blog dedicated to the Palio there was a post that naively asks whether “the best one won”. Maybe it’s a side effect of the Olympics, but in this medieval joust there is neither the best nor the worst, there is only a winner and a loser. In Siena, in particular, the real loser is the one that almost touched victory but who saw it slip out of its fingers in the beat of a few seconds… and ends up being mocked.

(The photo above shows the Drago and Oca right before the Drago horse slipped and lost his jockey).