Sun. Oct. 12, 19 & 26: Marradi (Mugello Valley). 9 am – 7 pm. Train service from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station: see schedule at www.dlf.it.
Admission 1.50 euro.
This is a charming, genuine mountain festival celebrating the chestnut, until recently, the “poor man’s food,” of the area.
The women of this small mountaintop village prepare delicacies made from chestnut flour for this truly specialized gastronomic event, including il tronco (a chestnut roll filled with cream); frittelle dolci (hot chestnut crepes sprinkled with powdered sugar); fried dumplings stuffed with chestnut paste; candied chestnuts; chocolate chestnut marmalade; and of course, castagnaccio, chestnut flan studded with pine nuts.
Also on sale are roasted chestnuts, chestnut liqueur and furniture made from chestnut wood. The 2014 Chestnut Festival also includes guided walks in the nearby countryside and children’s activities in the town library.
