Tuscany has a rich calendar of sagre – or food festivals, where the towns celebrate traditional dishes – that are one of the tastiest and liveliest expressions of Tuscan culinary heritage. There are literally thousands of big and small sagre all around the region throughout the year.
Whether you’re a meat eater, a seafood enthusiast or a fan of sweet treats, you’ll find something to suit your palate. You can enjoy all manner of delights in the lively squares of towns or parks every month of the year, usually accompanied by music and various entertainment. It’s also an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate local excellences.
From bistecca to fritters, truffle or chestnuts, there are literally hundreds of sagre. They are cheap, cheerful, and usually very busy. So get there early to secure a table, and don’t forget to bring your appetite!
Here’s a lineup of all the most important, and long-standing, food festivals in Tuscany.
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FOOD FESTIVALS IN TUSCANY – SPRING
VOLTERRA – Truffle Festival
Every year at the end of March the scenic Medieval town of Volterra hosts the Truffle Festival “Mostra Mercato del tartufo marzuolo“. It’s an occasion to try truffles and other local delicacies, with various events that celebrate the town’s historical and artistic heritage.
LUCIGNANO – Truffle Festival
The same tartufo marzuolo is a protagonist of the March weekends in picturesque Lucignano (located half an hour south of Arezzo), together with other dishes from the Arezzo area, like ravioli and Chianina meat dishes.
What is the ‘tartufo marzuolo‘? This variety of truffle (also called ‘bianchetto‘) reaches its maturity in March (hence the name), is less pricey and prestigious than the white truffle, but very much appreciated for its pungent scent and taste.
LARI – Cherry Festival
A perfect excuse to visit the Medieval walled hamlet of Lari, in the province of Pisa. This territory is famous for its cherry production – boasting 14 native varieties. The festival is celebrated every year usually on the last weekend of May and first of June, with local producers offering the pick of their cherries, while trying to win the ‘golden cherry’ for best quality. See FB page for more info. The Cherry Festival reached its 66th edition in 2024!
CHIUSURE (Crete Senesi) – Artichoke Festival
At the end of April, in the hamlet of Chiusure in the heart of the scenic Crete Senesi, artichoke is king. There are stalls offering delicious fried artichokes and themed dinners.
SAN QUIRICO DI VALLERIANA, PESCIA – Sagra del Neccio
This historic sagra is dedicated to one of Tuscany’s sweet delicacies: necci. What are these well kept secrets, known only to the real connoisseurs? Necci are crepes (or pancakes) made with chestnut flour and cooked in traditional iron plates with long handles, called testi. Rolled (into the shape of a cannolo) and stuffed with ricotta and sugar, necci are to die for.
The sagra is held on the second Sunday in March. It’s a great chance to visit the pretty hamlet Medieval of San Quirico, in the mountainous area near Pistoia, surrounded by chestnut woods.
FIRENZUOLA, MUGELLO – Prugnolo mushroom Festival
Usually at the end of May and mid June, over two weekends, the small town of Firenzuola, in northern Mugello, hosts one of the longstanding festivals dedicated to local mushrooms – the delicate but tasty prugnolo. All surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Apennines.
The area of the Mugello is known for its mushrooms, chestnuts and tortelli with potatoes (delightful with strong flavoured sauces like game). If you’re planning a visit to this area, check out the many food festivals dedicated to local dishes, like Sagre Tortello in Borgo San Lorenzo and look out for these specialities when you’re ordering in a trattoria!
CHIOCCHIO (Greve in Chianti) – Wildboar Festival
A much loved food festival, this one is in the midst of the Chianti region, in the small hamlet of Chiocchio near Greve in Chianti. A chance to try the local cinghiale, or wild boar (it’s one of the most typical meat sauces here, as there are boar aplenty in these parts) accompanied by local Chianti wine. Usually at the end of April.
CHIANCIANO TERME – Pici Festival
You cannot say you’ve ‘tasted’ Tuscany if you haven’t tried handmade pici. These thick spaghetti (a bit like noodles), made with flour and water, are mainly typical of the Senese area, where they even have clubs devoted to them. In the area there are many pici-themed food festivals, but this is the most famous – it’s usually on the second weekend in June, in Chianciano historic centre. See official FB page.
COLLE VAL D’ELSA – Sagra della miseria
Cucina povera is the art of transforming humble ingredients into delicious meals. And in Tuscany we know a lot about it, with plenty of outstanding dishes made with stale, leftover bread. Colle Val d’Elsa celebrates this culinary art with the long-standing ‘sagra della miseria’ (literally ‘festival of poverty’) – the name says it all, a rich collection of traditional ‘country kitchen’ dishes fit for kings! Every weekend in June (dates on the FB page).
FOOD FESTIVALS IN TUSCANY – SUMMER
MADONNA DELL’ACQUA (near Pisa) – Polenta and Mushroom Sauce Festival
True it’s not a very Summery dish, but its delicious nonetheless. The name is a mouthful in itself ‘ Sagra delle Pallette ai Funghi’ – pallette is the name given in Pisa to polenta served a bit more liquid with sauces, mushroom or meat sauce. A traditional dish from this area, plus grilled meat and desserts. Three weekends from mid July.
TALAMONE – Moscardini Fish Food Festival
In one of Tuscany’s southernmost coastal towns, Talamone, you find a fish-based food festival. The local specialties moscardini (small octopus) are cooked in a spicy tomatoey sauce and served on slices of toasted bread. Organised every year near the port, you can eat enjoying the sea breeze. Usually last weekend in July and first weekend in August -> see FB page
=> See more Food festivals on the Etruscan Coast.
ALBERESE – Festa della Carne Maremmana
Another popular sagra in Southern Tuscany, this time for meat eaters. Alberese, located at the heart of Maremma Natural Park, every August hosts a festival dedicated to local beef meat, raised in the Maremma countryside (usually the second two weeks in August).
PIOMBINO – Fish Festival
A very popular and long-standing food festival celebrates local fish in the historic port of Piombino, south of Livorno. Usually on the last week of July.
MONTESPERTOLI – Sagra della Pappardella
In the hilltop town of Montespertoli you find one of Italy’s top festivals dedicated to pappardelle (the long and broad ribbons of egg pasta), usually enjoyed with strong flavoured sauces, like hare sauce. Plenty of pasta dishes and grilled meat. Usually last week of August.
CASTELLINA IN CHIANTI – Watermelon Festival
A well-established festival where that most Summery of food – the watermelon – is celebrated. Includes music, events and food stalls around the lively Chianti town of Castellina. It’s usually on the last week of August.
CORTONA – Chianina Steak Festival
This prizes to be one of the oldest, and more acclaimed, food festivals in Tuscany. Since the ’60s, the scenic hilltop town of Cortona has hosted a food festival dedicated to the prized Chianina steak. It attracts devotees from Italy and abroad, that come to beautiful Cortona to also try other local meat specialties, sausages, local ham and cured meat served with ciaccia (local focaccia) – a must for carnivores! When? Weekend mid-August.
IMPRUNETA – Grape Festival
Another historic festival that’s been alive for almost a century, fills the small town of Impruneta with the scent of grapes – the Festa dell’Uva. It’s held throughout September (2nd, 3rd and 4th Sundays), to celebrate the highlight of the wine-growing year: the grape harvest. Impruneta, famous not only for its wine but also for its terracotta production, is enlivened by a famous parade of floats, plus food and wine stands. A real experience!
SORANA – Bean Festival
Did you know that even the humble bean has its own denomination in Italy? The Sorana IGP bean is the most prized white bean in Tuscany. It’s produced in the Pescia area (near Pistoia) with the village of Sorana at its centre. Every year, on the last weekend in August, Sorana celebrates its most prestigious product, with local bean-inspired dishes during the Festa del Fagiolo.
FOOD FESTIVALS IN TUSCANY – AUTUMN
VOLTERRA – Truffle Fair ‘Volterragusto’
On the last two weekends in October, Volterra hosts one of Italy’s top truffle fairs – Mostra Mercato del Tartufo Bianco e dei Prodotti tipici dell’Alta Val di Cecina. Producers offer visits and tastings of one of Tuscany’s most prized products, the white truffle.
SAN MINIATO – Truffle Festival
For the last 50 years, the hilltop town of San Miniato (between Pisa and Florence) has hosted an event that attracts professionals and passionate from all over Italy. Menu based on white truffles, the king of the area.
SAN GIOVANNI D’ASSO (Crete Senesi)- Truffle Festival
The other hot spot for truffles is the small town of San Giovanni d’Asso, south of Siena, at the heart of the Crete Senesi. One of Italy’s top truffle related events (2nd and third weekend in November).
The highlights of Autumn Food production in Tuscany are truffles, mushrooms and chestnuts, fruits of the season that make an appearnace in menus all over the region. Seasonal food is definitely one of the great reasons to visit Tuscany in Autumn!
MARRADI (Mugello area) – Chestnuts Festival
Chestnuts are one of the top products of the Apennines, and this festival in Marradi dedicated to this fruit offers the chance to taste chestnuts in all shapes and forms, from savoury to sweet: chestnut tortelli, chestnut cake, jams, marrons glacés, ‘bruciate’ (roasted chestnuts). (Usually 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sundays in October).
MOUNT AMIATA (Siena province) – Autumn Food Festival
The Mount Amiata area, south of Siena, is another hot spot when it comes to autumn food festivals in Tuscany. On the 2nd and 3rd weekend in October the Festa dell’Autunno celebrates local specialities like mushrooms and chestnuts -> see the detailed calendar of festivals in the Mount Amiata region.
‘Crastatone’ (from ‘crastare’, the act of cutting the chestnut before cooking it) is usually on the weekend of All Saint’s in Piancastagnaio, in the Mount Amiata area.
=> See the Top Chestnut Festivals in Tuscany throughout Autumn
TREQUANDA – New Olive Oil
Usually held over a weekend in mid October, the small town of Trequanda (south of Siena) celebrates the production of new olive oil.
=> see more Autumn Food Festivals in Tuscany
FOOD FESTIVALS IN TUSCANY – WINTER
SIENA – Mercato del Campo
On the first weekend of December you find a huge market in the beautiful Piazza del Campo in Siena, showcasing local products and artisanal food. It’s not a real sagra, but definitely it’s a great event for food lover.
LUCCA – Lucca al Desco
On the first two weekends of December the beautiful town of Lucca hosts the historic food festival “Lucca al Desco‘ (desco is another word for table), dedicated to the specialties of the area: you can try traditional dishes from Lucca and north-western Tuscany. Some producers from other part of Italy join in – plus there’s a rich calendar of events: tasting, show-cooking, everything that a food lover could want.
MONTEFIORALLE and other Fritters Festivals around Tuscany
You could say that frittelle is an historic dessert, as it was first mentioned in a 15th century cooking book! Traditionally rice fritters (frittelle di riso) were made for Saint Joseph’s feast day (19th March). Later they were also offered during the Carnival period. Today you find them from the end of January to March in many pasticcerie.
For over 50 years, the picturesque hamlet of Montefioralle, near Greve in Chianti, has organised one of Tuscany’s top festivals dedicated to the rice fritter, during the weekend closest to 19th March. A huge pot with 250 kilograms of oil is used to fry a limitless number of sweet, sinful morsels.
Other fritter festivals include San Donato in Collina, near Florence, every weekend from mid January to 19th March.
In Rapolano Terme (province of Siena) from mid January to 24th March there’s a fritter festival every weekend. At Torre del Lago Puccini on one weekend in mid-March. Meanwhile Montespertoli has the “Sagra del Bombolone e delle Frittelle” a bit later on, in April.
=> Best Christmas Markets in Tuscany
Another idea for satisfying the sweet tooth? In recent years the Chocolate Festival ‘Fiera del Cioccolato Artigianale’ has became an important date of March calendar events in Florence.
FOOD FESTIVALS IN TUSCANY – PRACTICAL TIPS
Here we’ve given you a list of the major food festivals in Tuscany, but there are many more to explore. When you decide on your itinerary, ask at your accommodation if there are any going on nearby and organise your trip around it. To be sure of dates it’s better to check closer to the time (not every food festival has a dedicated site or is translated in English).
These festivals are usually organised by volunteers, and can get quite crowded. They are a way for the community to come together, and the setting is informal. You usually pay in advance, then order your food, queue and you might have to wait a bit. The menu is centred around the main “protagonist” dish, but you’ll usually also find other choices.
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