Try the delights of local wine and cuisine at one of our traditional eateries where you also have the chance to eat outside. Mix with the locals and be welcomed as guests, not as tourists. This is True Tuscany, not that of postcards! which are

There are numerous open air rural festivals held throughout the summer months in the commune of Vecchiano. At these events, you can enjoy authentic local specialities either outdoors or indoors and listen to music and entertainment to suit all ages. The festivals are run and funded by voluntary organisations and offers visitors the opportunity to experience the real Tuscany, not picture postcard Tuscany.

Carnival (February) is celebrated all over Italy and is a colourful way for all the family, especially children, to have fun. As in the famous Viareggio Carnival, it is also tradition in Vecchiano to make huge papier-mâché models, pulled on floats, that poke fun at celebrities and politicians.

Traditional religious celebrations, held every three years, are testament to the ongoing importance of the religion in the area.The celebration of Madonna di Castello is held once every three years and lasts for ten consecutive days in September. It involves a firework display and a religious procession which departs from the Sanctuary of Saint Maria in Castello. Once a castle owned by the once powerful Republic of Pisa, the sanctuary was given its name by Leonardo da Vinci.

The Madonna delle Grazie is celebrated near the Vecchianese church of San Frediano. Following a solemn mass there is a traditional procession in honour of the Madonna accompanied by music from local bands. Later, in the evening, the festival is finished off with a spectacular firework display.

For further information on similar religious festivals that are held every year in towns and villages all over Marina di Vecchiano, click on “eventi”.

The traditional Spring fair (Festa di Primavera) in Vecchiano sees the town being transformed by market stalls, entertainment, fun fair and colour. Held on the first Monday of April and the following weekend, the fair is thought to originate from the travelling markets of medieval times. Such history is reflected in the equisitally rustic character of the festival which sees “dolci” (cakes, biscuits and sweets) made from their original ingredients: pine nuts, rice, chocolate, pastafrolla, liqueur and the famous “torte coi bisheri”. Furthermore, a country fair is held along the banks of the river Serchio. Here you can see collections of farm animals and demonstrations of rural crafts that date back many years.