winter in Tuscany

Every year, around december 8th, in the medieval village of San Quirico d’Orcia, there is the Festival of Oil

If you love tuscan extra virgin olive oil with its strong taste (as I do!!), I suggest you to plan a visit in Tuscany in this period and, why not? to do a walk for the streets of San Quirico during the Festival of Oil… there you will have the possibility of tasting the delicious Fettunta (Fettunta is a bread slice with new extra virgin olive oil and salt) It is so simple… and so special.

I have to be honest: I  normally don’t find the celebrations themselves  exceptionally wonderful … but in any case,  San Quirico is so cozy, the Orcia Valley is so magnificent, food and wine here are -as usual-  superlatives… and december is a nice opportunity for tasting tuscan recipes and extra virgin olive oi, in particular, at its best, when it’s new! (because you as you know, for oil it is not valid the rules of red wine and the freshest is the oil, the best is for the taste)

Here is the program of Festival of Oil 2010:

Festival of Oil 2010 San Quirico d’Orcia

Saturday, December 4

10.00 a. m. – City Center - Opening Stand

10.30 a. m. – Palazzo Chigi – Opening of exhibition “The oil in the landscape of Val d’Orcia” with drawings and writings made by secondary school children of San Quirico d’Orcia

10.30 a.m. – Palazzo Chigi – Opening of exhibition “In Val d’Orcia chasing butterflies and dreams …” Photos by Tiziana Bindi

10.45 a.m.  – Oil Trekking - walking in San Quirico d’Orcia discovering the secrets of bruschetta with oil and olive oil tasting at the new park Carlo Sorbellini

11.00 a.m. – Piazza della Libertà – issuance and cancellation of special post stamp “2010 Oil Festival” in collaboration with Poste Italiane

3.30 p.m. – Palazzo Chigi - oil-based massages

3.30 p.m. – Old Town – Street Band in concert

4.00 p.m. - Palazzo Chigi – Laboratory of creative entertainment for children

9.30 p.m. – Piazza della Libertà – CAMILLOCROMO in concert

Sunday, December 5

10.00 a. m. – City Center - Opening Stand

10.45 a.m.  – Oil Trekking - walking in San Quirico d’Orcia discovering the secrets of bruschetta with oil and olive oil tasting at the new park Carlo Sorbellini

3.30 p.m. – Old Town – EXTRA DIXIE JAZZ BAND in concert

3.30 p.m. – Palazzo Chigi - oil-based massages

4.00 p.m. - Palazzo Chigi – Laboratory of creative entertainment for children

4.30 p.m.  – Piazza della Libertà – Ceremony of the “As good as Oil” prize reserved to farms producing olive oil. Jury  formed by specialized journalists of Wine and Food

Ore 6.00 p.m.  – Palazzo Chigi – Mini wine tasting course – by Giampiero Cresti, OTA

MONDAY ‘December 6

10.00 a.m. – City Center – Opening Stand

TUESDAY ‘December 7

10.00 a.m. – Old Town – opening stand

4.00 p.m. – traveling the great puppet show

WEDNESDAY ‘December 8

10.00 a.m. – Old Town Opening Stand

2.30 p.m. – Old Town – Entertainment with the Company of the DUO and Trescone MOTOFOLK

3.30 p.m. – Palazzo Chigi - oil-based massages

4.00 p.m. – Palazzo Chigi – the extra virgin 2010 “The City of San Quirico d’Orcia rewards the memory of the Mayor of Pollica Angelo Vassallo. Withdraw the award on his son, Antonio Vassallo

6.00 p.m. – Palazzo Chigi – Mini wine tasting course – by Giampiero Cresti, OTA

During the festival of oil (Festa dell’Olio) in the historic center of San Quirico d’Orcia you can taste the best products of Orcia Valley and all oil excellences of the Siena territory.

Don Giovanni, Opera at San Galgano, Chiusdino (Siena)

Since many years, in the summer, the Abbey of San Galgano is the location of concerts in collaboration with the renomate siennese Chigiana Academy. In the scenic open air Cathedral of San Galgano, under a blanket of stars, take place every summerlays, operas, concerts, musicals and ballets.

Inside the Abbey, 800 seats to accommodate the public.

Performances at the Abbey of San Galgano start at 9.00 p.m.

Bookings/tickets: Ph. 0039 055 5978308/ 0039 055 5978309

For more informations and the programme:

Opera Festival

Multipromo Opera festival

via San Francesco, 3

50014 Fiesole (Fi)

info@festivalopera.it

web site

Before coming to Tuscany, I only new the famous song “Viva la Pappa col Pomodoro” sung by Rita Pavone.. in Piedmont isn’t a tradition.

When I discovered it (Giorgio made me taste it), I found it really special.. and asked Giorgio to do it so many times!

It is a very simple plate, a traditional plate of Tuscany, one of the poorest plates of the tradition but it is so good! So I find it like a cuddle:-))

Here is Ciorgio’s recipe:

Ingredients:

1 onion, some extra virgin olive oil, tomato paste, 2 fresh tomatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano

Procedure:

Cut the onion in little pieces. Put a little ‘of oil in a pan and then heat the oil.
When the oil is hot, add the onion.
When the onion is a bit ‘faded add the tomato puree and two fresh tomatoes into small pieces. Cook stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes on very low heat.
Serve and, in the plate, add a lot of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Something about Parmigiano Reggiano: if you wish to taste the real italian plates, you have to buy the real Parmigiano Reggiano, not already grated and not with other names such as Parmesan or other things.. they are not the real Parmigiano and won’t taste the same and won’t give you the same suggestions. These products are frauds.. they won’t assure you all the quality certifications.. so pay attention!

I will tell you the same about extra vergin olive oil: these italian recipes give their best with original and best quality ingredients. If you’re not planning to come to Italy, you can buy some good oil with e-commerce maybe? or, if you’re lucky and you’re planning a trip to Italy, when you come you also buy some some good extra virgin olive oil directly buy farmers. (I usually buy extra vergin olive oil in Murlo with 6, 7 euro per liter.. it is not so much, isn’t it? like one of the worste quality in a supermarket..The right period for the famous “olio novo” (new oil) is december, after olive harvest. My opinion is, that to taste olio novo directly by farmers is one of the most important things to do in life:-)

For celebrating the new oil, in december there are some special festivals: for example, the “Festa dell’Olio” (Oil Festival), on december 8th,  in San Quirico d’Orcia..

It was two years ago… it was already several years I lived in the Siena territory, but I was not yet gone at the Patio in Siena! I know, it is a little bit strange …but I am strange

Moreover the Palio is every year on july 2 and august 16 and in july and august in Tuscany is hot.. very hot.. and I hate hot temperatures! Mainly for this reason I wasn’t yet gone at the Patio, I imagined all that people packed like sardines and I didn’t want to be one of them.

But one day, a friend of mine from Swizerland asked me to bring her and another friend to the Patio and for this reason I finally decided to go.

We lived home in San Giusto (Murlo) around 12.oo a.m. and arrived in the early afternoon.

We saw the blessing of the horse at church, then we walked around without a goal (it is very funny to look around when all the people around you seems just like crazy! you can’t imagine how the siennese people feel this day.. ), then we were simply pushed into the Piazza del Campo (the wonderful main square of Siena).

We waited for a longtime, one close to the other, pushed, shoved, harassed by all that people… but then it was suddenly silence ..and the show began!

It is nothing and it is all, I mean the show means waiting sometimes for hours that some horses begin the race all around the square, but they don’t, they quarrel and fight, the jokeys speak and plot one with the other, and you are there waiting for the show..

the evening is arriving, the light is no more so brilliant, the hot is no more so unbearable, the square colours of pink ..the people suddenly shuts.. and the show begin.

It is few minutes (seconds?) but you won’t never feel something like that in your whole life.

Thousands of people will turn together to look at the race (a real spectacular scene!), a few seconds more.. than it will be all finished and will begin a happyness you won’t understand..:-) and will be party all around you, with people laughing, other crying, many parades, a show in Dome for the winner… and will be a great occasion for sitting in a café on the square.. and drink an “aperitivo” while it’s becoming dark and all the lights around you will turn on.