Leith Steel

Proprio di fronte ai gradini dell’imponente Duomo c’è Santa Maria della Scala, uno dei primi ospedali in Europa e uno dei più antichi ospedali sopravvissuti nel mondo. Originariamente fu fondato per aiutare e osp […]

(Santa Maria della Scala Hospital)
Just opposite the steps of the imposing Duomo, Santa Maria Della Scala was one of the first hospitals in Europe and one of the oldest surviving hospitals in the world. It was […]

(State Archives of Siena)
It is probably one of Siena’s best kept secrets; a completely free museum that is open in the morning for tours at 9.30, 10.30 and 11.30. Only!But it is worth it to see the remarkable c […]

E ‘probabilmente uno dei segreti meglio custoditi di Siena; un museo completamente gratuito che è aperto al mattino per le visite alle 9.30, 10.30 e 11.30. Solamente! Ma ne vale la pena per vedere la notevole […]

The black rooster on a gold background is the historic symbol of Chianti Classico.
The mascot has a deep-rooted background which dates to the middle ages when Florence and Siena were chief enemies and tensions […]

Piazza della Repubblica has (almost) always been the center of life for Florence and its citizens.

To one side, is the “Colonna dell’Abbondanza” or “Column of Abundance” that once marked where the cardo and […]

Domenico Bigordi, born in Florence in 1449, was the first of five children. The nickname « Ghirlandaio » came from his father’s art as a goldsmith. In fact, his father was a famous jeweler excelled for his silver g […]

In the small town of Borgo a Mozzano, in the province of Lucca, there is a famous humpbacked stone bridge, so dramatic, and so admirable, that it was said it only could have been constructed by the devil himself. […]

Al contrario di quello che si può pensare la Schiacciata alla Fiorentina, è un dolce e fonda le sue origini nella zona del Chianti, in passato venivano realizzate delle pagnotte, simili a dei panettoncini a […]

Typical Florentine Lenten Cake.
Going against anything you might think, Schiacciata alla Fiorentine (Florentine Schiacciata) is a dessert which originated in Chianti. Once these flat cakes were made similar to […]

Il classico crostino toscano trae le sue origini dai tempi degli antichi romani, quando era comune usare le fette di pane per raccogliere oli, sughetti e pezzetti di carne che rimanevano sui vassoi dai quali ogni […]

Crostini aren’t unique to Tuscany, but they are certainly prevalent, and play a part of most antipasto plates or menus. It is just your basic bread topped with extra flavorful ingredients. The most common c […]

Atypical from most Tuscan desserts, which rely on “poor” ingredients, the Panpepato, born in the Middle Age, is a “noble” cake due to the presence of pepper, a very prestigious and expensive spice which was use […]

Legends abound about the invention of this iconic cocktail, most agree on the following: sometime around the turn of the century (early 1900s) Count Negroni asked a now forgotten bartender to supercharge the then […]

Le leggende intorno all’invenzione di questo tipico cocktail sono numerose ma in molti concordano sulla seguente: all’inizio del XX secolo ( nei primi del 1900) il Conte Negroni chiese ad un barista, di cui ogg […]

Kale, Beans and Bread Soup.
Literally “Reboiled” this twice-cooked soup is the epitome of peasant food, and perhaps the best representative of Tuscan cuisine. Composed of classic regional ingredients: white or bor […]

Unsalted Bread.
One of the most interesting Tuscan gastronomic oddities is the so called “pane sciapo” or “pane sciocco”, which means insipid bread, bread baked without salt. A couple of theories try to explain […]

Gelato, artisanal ice cream, was invented in Florence during the Renaissance period by a poulterer named Ruggeri. Ruggeri took part in a contest held by the ‘de Medici family who wanted to find “the most unc […]

Typical Florentine Street Food
Lampredotto is one of the four stomachs of a cow, the fourth to be exact. The name “lampredotto” comes from the visible resemblance to the mouth of the lamprey eel which used to inh […]

Typical Autumn Chestnut Cake.
This not-too sweet cake made from chestnut flour developed long ago among poor farmers and peasants, where the chestnut once formed the base of the peasant diet due to their low cost […]