Archive for 'Food and Wine'

Brigidini are thin, yellow-orange coloured cookies, not unlike waffles, that come from the village of Lamporecchio, near Pistoia. You will find them at almost every fair, events and food festival that takes place in Tuscany, often made fresh, right in front of you. They are one of the oldest sweets still made today in Tuscany and have even come to symbolise the region. Like many well-known products of Italian cuisine, they seem to have been born from a mistake. Local lore tells that they back to 1300, when Sister Brigida, made a pilgrimage, from her country of Sweden, to Tuscany. Here, she founded the Order of the “Brigidine” and, one day, while she was preparing the hosts for the Mass, she made a mistake. The result were some crumbly, thin and tasty anise cookies.

While Chianti may be the most famous wine region in both Italy and Tuscany, it is not the only celebrated wine region in the country or the region. Tuscany is also home to Carmignano, a Tuscan wine region centered on the city of Carmignano, about 10 miles northwest of Florence. It has been praised for the high quality of its wines since the Middle Ages and was even singled out and favoured by Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Protected since the 18th century, it was awarded Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status in 1975 and subsequently promoted to Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status in 1990.

As great pizza is a highlight of any trip to Italy, we thought it was only fitting to try and help you track down some of the best places to get pizza in Tuscany. Based on review sites, articles and recommendations, we have compiled a list of some excellent options but the only way to really know is to try them for yourself. So, just find a luxury villa in Tuscany and try out any of these places and let us know whether or not you feel that they live up to the hype!

7. Florence – Mercato Centrale

We have mentioned a couple of Florentine locations so far but this spot is something special. Unlike the other picks, it isn't a single, dedicated pizzeria but an indoor market place where you can find food vendors selling and cooking various kinds of food, all under one roof.

Continuing on from our previous posts, we have been tracking down some of the best-rated and most beloved pizza places in Tuscany. Of course, it isn't possible to try out every single restaurant, personally, or to definitively say that one restaurant is better than the rest, however, we have trawled across lots of different review websites to see what real people are saying. Just find a luxury villa in Tuscany, grab pizza at any of these spots and let us know if you agree with the positive reviews that we have seen.

5. Florence – Gusta Pizza

Another Florentine entry, this is the top-rated pizza place in the city according to Yelp. Located on Via Maggio, it is a buzzy, busy spot that is very popular with locals.

Italians are serious about their pizza, as are tourist because, most of us could probably agree, it is one of the highlights of any trip to Italy. To help you have the best possible trip to Italy (and the best possible pizza), we have compiled a list of some of the highest rated and most beloved pizza places in Tuscany. Read on for the pizza you have always dreamed of and find a luxury villa in Tuscany for the holiday you have always dreamed of.

3. Lucca – Pizzeria da Felice

Pizzeria da Felice has been in business for over a hundred years and, yet, remains the most beloved pizza place in Lucca. Located on Via Buia 12, it is the type of place that inspires repeat visits; so much so that some report visiting several times in a trip and, even, twice in one day!