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Autumn is undoubtedly the best season to visit gorgeous Tuscany, thanks to the lower number of tourists, the mild, pleasant climate, and the magical atmosphere created by the warm colors of nature.
But Autumn is above all the best season for food and wine festivals, where the typical products of the season are celebrated: porcini mushrooms, chestnuts, truffles, new olive oil, wine, and much more. October and November are therefore ideal months to discover this wonderful region through its food and wine traditions.
Here is an overview of the main products of this season and the festivals dedicated to them, for those wanting to enjoy an authentic, traditional food and wine experience.

In the picturesque setting of Mugello, the village of Scarperia is ready to host the 50th annual "Exhibition of Sharp Tools", a prominent event dedicated to the art of knives and cutting tools. Since 1974, this event has celebrated the ancient tradition of the master knife-makers of Scarperia, a tradition rooted in the Middle Ages that has made the village one of the most renowned centers for knife production in Italy.
A HERITAGE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP AND CULTUREThe production of knives in Scarperia has a long history, dating back to 1306 when the village was founded by the Florentine Republic. But how did this ancient tradition begin? The strategic position of the village certainly played a key role in the development of this art. Scarperia was built to protect Florence from enemy incursions from northern Italy and, for this reason, was equipped with strong defensive walls and a castle.
Beyond its military function, Scarperia was located along one of the main routes connecting northern and central Italy. This made it a frequent stop for travelers of all kinds, from merchants to pilgrims, who stopped here to rest and shop before continuing their journey. It was in this context that the art of forging knives developed: versatile tools useful for travelers, suitable for eating, self-defense, cutting branches and brush along the Apennine trails, and much more.
Over time, the knife-maker workshops multiplied to the point where almost every family in Scarperia had its own knife-maker. Since then, the knife-makers of Scarperia have refined their techniques, passing down their knowledge from generation to generation. The Exhibition of Sharp Tools is the best celebration of this centuries-old tradition.

Everything is now ready in Borgo San Lorenzo for the Palio, one of the most anticipated and beloved events in the Mugello, organized to celebrate the city's patron saint on August 10th. This tradition, which dates back to the early 1900s, was revived in 2015 and has grown tremendously since then.A HISTORICAL EVENTThe Palio already existed at the beginning of the 20th century and involved the four districts of the historic centre. The event included horse races, parades, foot races, and culinary competitions. Over the years, unfortunately, the tradition was lost, and by the 1990s, only a grease pole challenge was organized. In 2015, the Palio was relaunched by the local tourist office and the municipal administration, with the aim of reviving and promoting forgotten traditions. Since then, the event has grown significantly, expanding from just 3 districts and 30 participants in 2015 to over 200 players and eight districts. Today, Borgo San Lorenzo hosts a Palio that rivals other major events in Tuscany, thanks in large part to the valuable support of the many volunteers who help organize it.

It is the Tuscan village of Peccioli (PI) that has won the title of Borgo dei Borghi 2024. This small town, nestled in the heart of Valdera, has triumphed in the annual competition which, thanks to the Rai3 show Il Kilimangiaro and under the pretext of a challenge, leads to the discovery of Italy's lesser-known gems.
The competition involves twenty small Italian towns that, over the course of a year, compete for visibility and tourism opportunities. Votes come from both viewers and citizens through the official website of the event, as well as from a panel of judges. For the 2024 edition, the jury was composed of Michelin-starred chef Isabella Potì, Olympic champion Manuela Di Centa, and mathematician and essayist Piergiorgio Odifreddi.

On 11 and 12 May 2024, the 8th annual Scarperia Wine fair will take place at the evocative Palazzo dei Vicari in Scarperia and San Piero.
During this event, wine enthusiasts will have the chance to enjoy wines from all over Italy. It will be an unmissable opportunity to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of wine, through itinerant tastings held in the marvellous Renaissance setting of the Palazzo dei Vicari in the heart of the village of Scarperia, considered one of the “Borghi più Belli d’Italia” ('Most Beautiful Villages in Italy).
The inauguration of the event will be on Saturday 11 May at 11 a.m., in the presence of the Scarperia and San Piero Municipal Administration and the Board of Directors of Pro Loco Scarperia APS, the main organiser of the event.

Borgo San Lorenzo is gearing up for the eleventh annual festival of Fiorinfiera, an event that transforms the city into a true floral paradise. From April 19th to 21st, the monumental gardens of Piazza Dante will host this important Gardening Trade Fair, offering an unforgettable experience for lovers of floriculture, horticulture and gardening.
Borgo San Lorenzo will be transformed into a vast open-air garden, with around 60 exhibitors in this field and about twenty local agricultural companies ready to delight visitors with the fresh flavors of Spring.
It's not only flowers and plants: Fiorinfiera also offers entertainment and culinary delights! The part of the Piazza in front of the town hall and Via Bandini will host a colorful and lively market, and tempting street food stalls will be set up in Piazza del Popolo.
The historic centre of Borgo San Lorenzo will be brought to life with exhibitions, workshops, and artistic installations, in a kind of pathway leading to the town’s gardens displaying plants and flowers of all kinds, from seasonal specialties to ornamental plants, from evergreens to citrus fruits and garden equipment.
Along Corso Matteotti, artists will be painting live both days, while Via Mazzini will host workshops for children, as well as inaugurating a display that will remain for the entire Spring and Summer seasons.
The many shops in the centre and other areas involved in the event will also adorn their windows with flowers and elements of nature, offering services, menus or products related to the floral theme and Spring scents.

You still have time until 2 June 2024 to visit the exhibition “The Medici: People of Mugello - Family portraits from the Uffizi Galleries” at the Museum of Cutting Tools ('Museo dei Ferri Taglienti') in Scarperia e San Piero. This exhibition is organised by Fondazione CR Firenze and the Uffizi Galleries, as part of their respective projects 'Piccoli Grandi Musei' and 'Uffizi Diffusi'.
Inside the sumptuous Palazzo dei Vicari in Scarperia, you will find four paintings depicting members of the Medici family on display, recalling the deep-rooted presence of this family in the Mugello area. Brought directly from the Uffizi Galleries, these portraits were painted by eminent Florentine artists between the 1630s and 1880s.
We find a young Cosimo I de' Medici portrayed by Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio: although little more than a ten-year-old boy, he already appears proud and aware of his social position, as shown by the sumptuous robes and the coat-of-arms clearly visible at the top right, with the inscription "cosmo med".The portrait of Duchess Eleonora, Cosimo's wife and daughter of Don Pedro de Toledo, viceroy of Naples, was painted by Lorenzo Sciorina, a student of Bronzino. Sciorina presents a slightly different version of his master's famous work, which is currently housed at the Uffizi. The princess wears an elegant dress and, whereas in Bronzino's version she is depicted with her second son, here she is pictured accompanied by Garcia, her eighth child who died prematurely of malaria.
Finally, the portraits of Francesco I, depicted here in his thirties, and his second wife Bianca Cappello are noteworthy both for their intense expressions and the attention to detail in the background, fabrics and ornaments. Painted by artists from the circle of Santi di Tito and Alessandro Allori, the pictorial style of the two works reflects the prevailing artistic trends in Florence towards the end of the century. A curiosity: the portrait of Bianca Cappello was originally frescoed in the presbytery of the church of Santa Maria in Olmi, as the Grand Duchess was particularly devoted to the image of the Virgin venerated in this church; the painting was later removed to be transferred to the Florentine galleries in 1871.