Autumn in Tuscany is synonymous with eating really, really well. Wine harvests are an obvious culinary delight of the region but there are two other key ingredients that are commonly used at this time of the year: truffles and chestnuts. While both ingredients are found in different parts of Italy and in the local cuisines of various regions of Italy, Tuscan dishes utilising both are especially delicious. Plus, festivals dedicated to both ingredients pop up in villages and towns all over Tuscany right through the season. For example, the town of Marradi has had a dedicated chestnut festival that has been running for more than 50 years. Chestnuts are not something that everyone is used to eating but there are all sorts of delicious Tuscan chestnut-based dishes to sample and it is a perfectly autumnal food. So, if you are enjoying a fall escape to a villa in Tuscany and you want to get cosy, eat well, and embrace the season, be sure to check it out!
Located on the border with Emilia Romagna, 45km north east of Florence, in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Marradi is a perfect place for a day-trip if you have booked a vacation rental in Florence and the surrounding area or if you have booked a luxury villa in Florence and are looking to indulge in la dolce vita and some incredible seasonal delights. Impossibly quaint, Marradi is all lush wooded surroundings, pretty town squares where you can sit out with a glass of wine and some chestnut-based dishes, winding little streets, stone and pastel buildings, old walls, and charming views. During the Marron Buono Exhibition Market in Marradi the entire and lovely historic centre is totally taken over by foodie offerings and celebrations each Sunday throughout October, which is the peak production period for chestnuts in Tuscany and across Italy.
A really popular festival, it draws crowds from neighbouring towns and villages, as well as further afield, and makes this little town a bustling place of excitement and delicious dishes. Celebrating the Marron Buono, which is the best known and most important product from the area and an IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta or Indication of Geographic Protection) food, the central dishes that are served up include bruciate (roasted chestnuts), tortelli and chestnut cake, castagnaccio, and marrons glacés. Food, of course, plays the most important role in the festival but there is more to it. In addition to the stalls lining the streets selling the chestnuts as well as the various dishes made using them and tastings of other typical dishes and product of the region, there are also stalls selling local crafts, musicians playing in the streets, other street performers, and various kinds of entertainment.
Welcoming guests with its picturesque surroundings and charming good looks as well as the delicious scent of roasting nuts and other incredible dishes, Marradi in October is truly magical. Enjoy the slow pace of life in town but also the excitement of the festival, wander the charming historic centre, visit the market stalls, sample the local foods, sit out in one of those town squares with a glass of wine while listening to the musicians playing, maybe go hiking in the stunning woods around town, and generally soak up the gorgeous atmosphere and impeccable fall vibes. If you are based in a holiday rental in Florence and you want to attend but don’t want to have to drive? Well, never fear, you can take the authentic vintage train that travels to Marradi from Florence and really enjoy the impossible quaintness of this stunning part of Tuscany – now that sounds like a perfect autumn day out to us!
