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Plan your retreat or workshop in Tuscany

Are you are an expert in your field, and love the idea of running a course or workshop in a beautiful location?  Maybe you’ve run courses before, but would like to run a more up-scale retreat? You might be a yoga instructor, … Read More

Montefioralle near Agriturismo Podere Patrignone where you can rent a vacation villa

The last wine fair, in a magical town…

The grapes are in, and the season of chianti wine festivals comes to a close with the smallest event in the calendar, the Montefioralle Divino. First, a bit about Montefioralle, a charming little town in the hills just to the west of Greve in … Read More

The Chianti Classico Expo near Podere Patrignone www.patrignone.com

Two fantastic wine fairs in Tuscany

The grapes are fat and juicy, the harvest is in full flow, and so is the wine. Because while people are toiling in the fields breaking their backs picking the new grapes, lots of other people are tasting huge quantities … Read More

Mercantia – an enchanted experience in a medieval setting

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 … Read More

Drama, excitement, intrigue…donkeys…what more do you want?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDE4ow36PDQ You’ve seen the Palio, Senese-style, now see the Palio, San Donato-style. Intrigue, excitement, near-death accidents, flag-waving, this has it all. There’s great street-food, lots of stalls selling arts & crafts, games for the kids, processions, drummers, flag-throwers. We got … Read More

The Palio di Siena, www.patrignone.com

The Palio di Siena – extreme horse-racing, medieval-style

  Italians don’t do things by halves, and the Palio is no exception. A 4-day horsing event culminating in the final race, with the Palio (an ornate banner, made by a different artist every race) going to the first horse … Read More

The real football, near our Tuscan villa rentals in Chianti

You think rugby is tough? Meet the real football.

In the historical centre of of Florence in June every year, in the square in front of Santa Croce, there’s a sporting competition like no other on the planet. Forget football, soccer, or rugby. Meet Calcio Storico Fiorentino, a game … Read More