Flavours and colours

From folklore to food, autumn in Tuscany

Autumn in Tuscany is marked by tradition and gastronomy, which often come together in sagre and events that are by now even important on a national level. One example is the Palio dei Caci in Volterra, which on October 27 involves local residents racing wheels of cheese produced in the nearby Balze downhill along via Franceschini. Participants compete for glory, the colours of the eight neighbourhoods and to take home their cheese after winning.
Agriculture, food and wine traditions are exalted at the White Truffle Fair held in San Miniato the last three weekends in November (9-10, 16-17 e 23-24): almost half a century (this year marks the 49th edition) of typical flavours with truffle hunts in the Pisan hills. The first two weekends of November (9-10, 16-17), in the Crete Senesi, there is another important event dedicated to truffles, the White Truffle Fair in San Giovanni d’Asso.
From October 30 to November 3, Lucca will be decked out, in the truest sense of the word, in a thousand different colours, with fans of animation, role-playing games and comic books coming from all over Europe for Lucca Comics & Games, a festival dedicated to fantasy and irony in the heart of Tuscany. In addition to the more classic festival, with animation, board and role-playing games and themed exhibitions, the highlight of the event is the young cosplayers who, for half a week, dress up as their favourite comic book or cartoon characters.
There is free entry to Lucca Junior, the pavilion dedicated to families, and the Self Area, a space to make your own comic books. The exhibitions in Palazzo Ducale, Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca and Palazzo Arnolfini are free to visit, as are the many meeting rooms, with the exception of Teatro del Giglio, the Auditorium San Francesco and the Sala Ingellis. Attendees must pay to go into the pavilions, which have a maximum of 90,000 visitors per day, because even success has its limits!