We’ve been to Mercantia before, but never with young kids. So we were a little worried about the crowds. But we needn’t have stressed. They absolutely loved it, and it wasn’t as crazy as we had feared. We went on the last night, Sunday, and although it’s always busy, the crowds weren’t too bad at all.
We got there early, around 6pm, parked easily and avoided most of the queues. We went up to Certaldo ‘Alto’ using the funicular, which the kids loved, of course, though it’s only a 10 minute walk up. Then we headed over to one of the street-food areas and got some schiacciata and porchetta, a couple of primi, and some beers or sangria for the grown-ups. Then we spent the next few hours wandering around seeing all sorts of strange and wonderful stuff. The kids were transfixed, but the entertainment was fascinating for grown-ups too. I can see this being an annual trip for us, at least until the kids get bored of it, which might be some time…
We’ve put a bit of video up on our Facebook page too, for anyone who’s interested.


If you’re planning a trip to Tuscany, and you would like to know more about staying at our Tuscan agriturismo, Podere Patrignone, we have a large villa and 5 villa apartments to rent. We live here all year, and are on hand to give you a help and advice. We hope you can join us!
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