Piero di Benedetto de’ Franceschi, more commonly known as Piero della Francesca, was one of the most important exponents of the Italian Renaissance and humanist painting of the time. Also famous for his excellent mathematical and geometric skills, he brought a profound innovation to painting and therefore to art in general: perspective, an artistic style that then spread widely among the various painters of the time. The themes of his works range from those of a theological nature to philosophical and civil ones. One of the most beautiful itineraries that allows us to appreciate his beautiful works is found in Arezzo and its neighboring provinces: you can start from Arezzo and then continue east in the direction of Sansepolcro. It is no coincidence that the area around Arezzo is called “Terre di Piero”, precisely because the citizens of these lands feel inextricably linked to the artist.

Imagine a dark lily that stands out against a white coat of icing sugar. Where could you possibly find yourself if not in Florence? And that’s not all: because the Florentine Schiacciata is the Florentine sweet of Carnival par excellence, known in every Tuscan city.

Although it is a simple, popular recipe, born as an enrichment of bread dough with sugar, lard, spices and orange peel, Schiacciata boasts noble quotations, including the nineteenth-century one by Artusi. But this soft leavened cake has more ancient origins, dating back to when it was known by another name, taken from the Florentine convent in which the nuns invented it: the Schiacciata delle Murate. Due to its goodness, the Florentine Schiacciata is recognized as a Traditional Agri-Food Product (PAT) of the Tuscany region. Over the years, the Florentine Schiacciata recipe from Tuscan pastry shops has remained almost intact. But the traditional recipe, which uses lard, has been joined by more elaborate variations enriched with creams, and others that are more simplified and suitable for quick home preparation.

The Tuscany region is rich in places of interest, from cultural to maritime ones, also passing through gastronomy, and among these we can also find the Chianti areas. By hills of Chianti, or also called Monti del Chianti, we mean an area that extends more than 20 km, between the provinces of Siena, Florence and a small part of Arezzo. The Val di Chiana and the Valdarno mark its natural borders. As the name suggests, the territory is mainly hilly and rich in vines, which give rise to wines with the Chianti DOCG denomination. The highest mountain is in fact San Michele, with a peak of 893 metres. The oldest municipalities in the area are those of Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti and Gaiole in Chianti. While all the municipalities that are part of it are: Florence, Siena, Barberino Val d’Elsa, Castellina in Chianti, Certaldo, Chianciano terme, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti, Impruneta, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Poggibonsi, Radda in Chianti, Rapolano Terme, San Casciano in Val di Pesa, San Gimignano, Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, Vinci and Volterra.

The city of Florence has always been famous for its artistic and cultural heritage and was also the capital from 3 February 1865 to 3 February 1871. Another important tradition of this city, and of Tuscany in general, however, are also the typical trattorias. These are convivial places in which to eat well, which were born in ancient times in the “holes” of stately buildings. And it was precisely the Municipality of Florence that presented a list of trattorias classifying them as: “historical”, “historical of value” and “traditional”. The oldest trattorias in Florence are generally those found in the historic centre.