About Pisa

I think the best time when you should go there is spring, because the weather is very good, but is't not too hot, so it's great.

Piazza dei Miracoli is really well worth visiting, it's one on the most important places in the world: there you can see the leaning tower, the baptistery, the "Campo Santo" and the Duomo Church.

Make sure you go shopping in Corso Italia, the main street, full of beautiful shops.

Another nice thing is to go for a walk along the "Arno" river, the main river in Tuscany.

If you have a time, don't miss the ice cream parlours in the Lungarno, the ice cream is well wort trying! If you love reading, don't miss the parks, especially the Giardino Scotto,  where you can relax, read and watch the world go by. 

Martina Fedele

Lucca Comics and Games

Do you want to visit Lucca?
There are big city walls! And you can walk on them.
You really should go there in late October - early November, for the "Lucca comics, movies and games" festival!
And if you like comics and video games, don't miss the multimedia area, with a lot of TVs and statues of your favorite heroes.
Finally for the "Lucca comics" a lot of people come there from all over Italy with cosplays.
Cosplays are handmade costumes which represent manga, or movie characters, like Katniss of Hunger Games, Harry Potter, or the protagonists of some games, like Altair, Ezio Auditore, from Assassin's Creed.
And why not? There are also some vampires, werewolves, and various monsters.
I think it's so amazing, if you see it once, you wish to get back there next year!!
If you have time, after the festival you should visit the city centre, with its narrow medieval streets, into the walls of course.
There are a lot of shops, and characteristic churches and squares.
The most famous square is the "Amphitheatre square".
Have a look at the website!
Vanessa Agostini

The beer festival

THE BEER FESTIVAL 

Each year the "beer festival" takes place in Pontedera.

This festival is usually held in summer and it lasts one week in June.

In this festival the inhabitants of Pontedera can volunteer to serve as waiters.

The food that the people eat is typically German, such as: sausages, sauerkraut, pork ribs and especially beer. The people who drink a lot.. . take a mug of beer after another.

This festival is cute, because not only the adults have fun... but also the children because there are some rides and a little stage where a German band sings a typical song from Bavaria.

THE FESTIVAL OF FRIED POTATOES

In the village where I live the famous festival of fried potatoes is celebrated every year from 15th to 25th August.
During these days, Victory Square is filled with the finest fruits of the surrounding countryside: the Tosca and the Monnalisa, two potato varieties that have characterized the place and its inhabitants, known for a long time as "patatai" (potato harvesters), for decades. 
A tradition linked to the particular flavor that the tubers receive from the sun and from the land of the hills of this area, thanks to the mild climate offered by some slopes, especially in places like Pregiuntino, Falorni and Cerretti. 
At the end of the 19th century they had already started to export their potatoes before many other farmers who were growing potatoes in the plains of the Arno valley. The festival of fried potatoes, which is organized by the committee of the Assunta Fair, has been celebrated for 43 years. During the festival every day the famous frying pan is on in Victory square where you can taste fries at your own will. Around the square there are many food stands and stalls where the tourist can buy typical foods and souvenirs. 
Finally every evening musical events are organized. 



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                                            Campinotti Giulia

The "Palio dei Ciui" in Santa Maria a Monte

From May 29 to June 2, the "Palio of Donkeys" takes place.
The event takes place in a sports facility in the Municipality of Santa Maria a Monte.
The race is a competition involving a donkey and a jockey with no experience of this type of racing.
The path is an oval track on the grass of the field of the local soccer team, about 350 meters long.

The first two qualifying heats, each with four participants determine the four finalist districts, based on the first two donkeys that cross the finish line (even without their rider) at the end of two full laps of the track.
The donkey who first manages to cross the finish line at the end of three laps of the final race determines the winning "contrada".
Year after year this competition has become an attraction not to be missed for many people from all over Tuscany and tourists in the area at this time.
Cheering linked to districts becomes more and more choreographed so as to create a spectacular backdrop to this delightful event.
Falls, donkeys which shake unlikely jockeys and peculiar taming techniques make the atmosphere extremely enjoyable and unforgettable.

http://www.toscanatascabile.it/ios/event/palio-dei-ciui/


Samanta Recce

THE MACCHERONE FESTIVAL

This festival takes place in my village, Buti, in the two last weeks of July. This festival is situated in the medieval castle of Buti. During this festival you can have dinner there and try some typical products. The highlight of the festival is "maccheroni", a typical type of pasta with meat sauce. After dinner there are a lot of people that drink a lot and sing all the time. Until midnight there are special guests like DJs, singers and dancers. This festival is organized to raise money for the village and in January they use this money for the most important event of the year, a horse race called "PALIO".

"Palio de' Ciui" in Lugnano

The Palio de' Ciui is an old tradition that developed in the locality "La Noce" near Lugnano where it is held today. This festival is celebrated every third Sunday of September in Lugnano.
Lugnano has been divided in five districts for centuries:
- Monte Bianco (white mountain) whose colors are red and white. The coat of arms of this district is the eagle. 
- Pozzo Antico (ancient well) whose colors are yellow and black and the coat of arms of this district is the gull. This is my district and it is very beautiful.
- Poggio (knoll) whose colors are white and light blue. This district is represented by the snake.
- San Giorgio (S. George) whose colors are dark blue and red and the coat of arms of this district is the dragon. 
- Canneto (cane-brake). This district is now out of the competition because there was an argument with the other districts. The colors of this district were green and white and its coat of arms was the otter. 
This competition begins whit the parade of each district. Then they play a small scene created by them. 
In the afternoon, at about six o'clock, after the allocation of the donkeys to all districts, there is the donkey race that takes place around a hill. Each donkey is galloped by a jockey. After a few laps the winner of the Palio is elected!

The Frate Festival

                      THE FRATE FESTIVAL

The Frate festival is organized by S. Nicolao, a district in Buti, where it takes place the friday, saturday and sunday of the first week in September.

During these days the locals help their district to organize the festival.

Some people cook and other set up the stands and organize the district street where the festival takes place in the evening.

For dinner there are some typical local dishes and as a dessert the frate, a small and roundish cake with a hole in the middle, made with a soft dough covered by sugar.

In the evening some guests such as two DJs and a small band play music to entertain the participants.
On Sunday, at the end of the festival, as a tradition a small wood dove, which is lit up on a wire suspended in the air, is launched, with some fireworks as a decoration.

Fabio Baldanzi

Medieval festival in Staffoli

The medieval festival in Staffoli takes place on the 8th of September and is organized by the local shopkeepers. 

For this festival, every shop-owner sets up a stand outside his or her shop and sell its products. 

Almost all the inhabitants wear an old dress and they model in the historic parade. During the parade you can see animals, such as horses, sheep, chickens and donkeys. When the parade takes place, flag-wavers and also people who play drums and trumpets march through the village. 

In the main square there are some nice shows like the cutting of the head with the guillotine, performances with fire and theater performances.

During the festival, there are some strange characters like the fortune teller, prostitutes, the victims of the plague, knights and many others. 

For dinner you can try typical dishes prepared by the butcher's shop, by the supermarket and the fish shop. Every shop becomes a tavern. 

 Scarpellini Matilde 

Historic race of Calcinaia

The historic race of Calcinaia, called "rowing Palio" in the past, is a fixed seat rowing competition which takes place on the waters of the River Arno in honor of the patron Saint Ubaldesca Taccini. In the Middle Ages the palio, a long rich cloth, was used to welcome kings and emperors, putting it over their heads like a canopy, so it was a very precious material. The prizes which were offered to the winners in medieval racing consisted of some lengths of silk, wool or velvet, and were called palios. It was therefore a "race to win the Palio". In Calcinaia, the Palio, heart-felt and waited for during the whole year, typically takes place on the last Sunday of May or the first Sunday of June between the districts of the village after a costume parade. In the first editions all the villages and towns which overlooked the river (Pontedera, San Giovanni alla Vena, Uliveto) took place in the competition. Then over the years Calcinaia was divided into three districts: Montecchio, Nave, Oltrarno.



The district Montecchio, recognized with the color blue, occupies the north and east of the village and represents the bourgeois life of Calcinaia;









The district Oltrarno, in red, occupies the south area of the Arno and represents the popular classes that in the past lived in the countryside in front of the village;







The district Nave, in green, occupies the area north of the Arno near the old medieval castle and represents the lord of the castle with its army.

The documents proving the existence of the race date back to the beginning of the nineteenth century, but the oral tradition peasant dates the race at even more remote times.
The night before the race, according to the tradition, a street party called "relive the past" is organized. It is a historical manifestation through the streets of the village that brings the whole village back in time. During this evening you can admire medieval carts, 19th century poor farmers hand in hand with 18th century distinct aristocrats, performances of all kinds, attractions, games, live paintings and food stalls, all kinds of drinks and tasty treats.
I really recommend to participate in this celebration different from the usual but however full of fun and cheer.

Foschetti Ylenia

THE BIRDS EXHIBITION in Capannoli

The birds exhibition is an event which takes place in Capannoli on the second Sunday of September.
This year the fifty-third edition of this event, which is considered as the most important in Tuscany, is being held.
The birds exhibition is characterized by the famous singing competition of songbirds from all over Italy.

For the children who live in Capannoli the day of this event is the last day of summer because the day after the event they must go back to school.
During the day of this event it is prohibited to circulate with any form of motor transport and for this reason there is a free shuttle bus that transports people to where the festival begins.
In the streets of the village there are a lot of stalls where we can find clothes, shoes, toys, something for the house and typical food.
In front of the Church there are a lot of animal stalls where we can buy cats, dogs, fishes, birds, hamsters and turtles.
It is a very beautiful event.                                            

Martina Simm.

Castagnaccio

Castagnaccio is a cake made ​​with chestnut flour, a typically autumnal dish easy to prepare and very good to eat. It originated as a poor dish for the rural populations who had chestnuts as their main staple food. Today, instead, this cake is the protagonist of numerous celebrations and festivals.

Here is a recipe for 8 people.
The ingredients you need are:
-water: 750 ml
-chestnut flour: 500 gr
-walnuts: 100 gr
-pine nuts: 100 gr
-rosemary: a handful
-raisins: 80 gr
-salt: a big pinch
-extravirgin olive oil: 6 tablespoons

PREPARATION



To prepare the Castagnaccio, the first thing to do is preheat the oven at 200°, then take the raisins and put them to soak in warm water (1) ; proceed sifting the chestnut flour into a large bowl to remove possible lumps (2) and after having added a generous pinch of salt, pour gradually water in the flour (3) mixing everything with a whip until you obtain a well blended and soft batter (4).



Then squeeze and dry the raisins, and add them to the mix together with pine nuts and walnuts coarsely chopped (5) (set aside a small amount of these three ingredients that you will sprinkle on the surface of the castagnaccio before baking). Take a shallow baking tin with a diameter of 40 cm and grease it with some olive oil using a brush. Later pour the mix in the baking tin, sprinkle the castagnaccio with the ingredients set aside and with the rosemary (6), pour two more tablespoons of oil on the surface and finally bake it for 30 minutes at 200 ° until it will form a crust on the surface.

This dish is classified as a cake but it is not very sweet, it has a particular flavor that I like very much, for this reason I chose this dish. I have never prepared it, but I'd like to do it one day.

Ylenia Foschetti

PAPPA AL POMODORO !

The tomato soup is a poor dish of peasant origin. 

It is excellent in winter because it is a hot soup and in summer because you can eat it at room temperature too. 

The main ingredients are: Tuscan bread,

peeled tomatoes, garlic, basil and oil.

INGREDIENTS (four people) 

- 300 gr of bread 

-1 l of soup

-10 leaves of basil

-pepper 

-olive oil 

-garlic

-1 spoon of sugar

-salt 

-800 gr of tomatoes 

PREPARATION 

Cut the Tuscan bread in thin slices (1) than toast them in the oven at 200 degrees for some minutes.

Remove the bread from the oven and rub them with the garlic(2).

Boil the tomatoes in boiling water for around 1 minute (3). 

Then take the tomatoes out and peel them with a knife (4) .

Sieve the tomatoes and place them in a container. 

Place the bread in a pan (5) 

So pour the tomato sauce on the bread  (7) and the vegetable broth too (8).

Add some salt, pepper, and some sugar (9) and cook at low heat for 40-50 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated. 

Stir well for trasforming the bread into a "pappa" (10) . 

Add the basil leaves (11). Pour the pappa al pomodoro in a bowl (12) and add some extra virgin olive oil too. 

THE DISH IS READY!!! :) 

                                        Simona Cilino. 

Pappa al Pomodoro

Here's a first dish of the Florentine traditional peasant cooking.
Ingredients:
-Stale bread (Tuscan bread baked in a wood-fired oven would be perfect)
-Ripe tomatoes
-Basil
-Garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper
First, stir fry the garlic in the oil, then add the tomatoes cut in a large pieces. Mix well and add the chopped basil (or the whole leaves), some salt and lots of pepper. Let it cook for about ten minutes, and then add water or some vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and cook for another 5 minutes, then add the bread cut into pieces and boil for another 5 to 10 minutes. Add some more salt and pepper if necessary, then add some more basil and turn the fire off. Let the "pappa" rest in a covered pot for about an hour and serve with some olive oil. This is the traditional recipe which includes garlic, but there are different varations. Pagani Alice

POLPETTE DI CARNE Giulia Campinotti

The meatballs are a classic recipe and simple to make.   The meatballs are a second dish really delicious and enjoyed by all, especially by children.

INGREDIENTS FOR 35 DUMPLINGS

Meat : 500 g

Garlic : a clove

Parmesan cheese : 50 g

Eggs : 2

Bread : 100 g

Oil, salt , ginger , parsley

Provola cheese: 50 g

 PREPARATION

To make the meatballs start preparing the ingredients. First you take the bread, remove the crust (1), cut into small cubes and chop finely with the help of a mixer (2). Wash and clean the parsley, then chop it with a knife or a crescent (3).

Chop up a clove of garlic (4) and cut the Provola cheese into cubes (5). In a large bowl place the minced meat and then add the chopped parsley (6),

chopped garlic, Provola cheese (7), beaten eggs (8) and parmesan (9).

Stir the mixture well with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed (10). Finally incorporate the breadcrumbs too (11), then add salt and pepper. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, place in the refrigerator and let it rest for about half an hour (12).

Form the meatballs by hand (13). Fry the meatballs in hot oil, until golden brown (14). At this point, drain well on paper towels (15). Serve the meatballs together with a fresh salad or mashed potatoes.

Colleoli

My favorite restaurant is "Colleoli" in Colleoli. 

It isn't only a restaurant but it's a holiday farm and people also can organise ceremonies there, because the place is very beautiful. When there are wedding parties they sometimes organise buffet dinners.
It’s a restaurant where there are three big rooms and when it's summer or it's hot there is plenty of space in the garden to enjoy your meal in the open air.
The typical food of this restaurant is "Tuscan cuisine": croutons, soups..and every dish is delicious.
Prices aren't too expensive. 
Virginia

This is their website:

http://www.agriturismocolleoli.it/