.Autumn is the the gourmet season in Tuscany. You can notice it by the huge offers of  amazing festivals and sagre celebrating the season of chestnuts, mushrooms, olive oil, potatoes tortelli, truffle. Those who are more curious will see that there are several hidden places that can let discover the essence and the richness of our territory. Imagine a Tuscan farm, where grapes, olive trees, pomegranate grows, where you can stroll in a grove rich of truffles or pick vegetables from the garden, loose yourself in the private forest searching for chestnuts and porcini mushrooms. 

Precious things are shown to few people. That's why our proposals are for intimate, private groups that want to enjoy a foodie day where a knowledgable guide will make them live and learn the secrets behind a typical Tuscan  product of the land, touching with their hands the efforts of the men and the gifts from the land, letting them taste the best that our territory can offer. 

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Although Summer is the peak for vacationers, Cortona is capable of stealing your heart all year round. The temperate weather and the amazing surroundings, the strategic position,  the natural beauties and the unmatched hospitality of the locals add to the enchantment of this charming hill town in the South-East part of Tuscany.  

Spring gives her best with an explosion of colors in the city gardens, the squares start to be decorated by tables where you can sip your Espresso or a glass of Syrah, for an aperitivo Italian style. 
Many sport events take place from March: bike or vintage cars races, tennis tournament and of course soccer competitions or, even if you are a solo player,  you can opt for one of the many walking itineraries that will lead you discovering enchanted spots. 

Winter travels have their unique charme in Tuscany. Less crowd, cooperative weather, stunning colors and hearty food are a winning combination. 

Make the most of your time in Tuscany,  search for authentic and unparalleled experiences, meet the locals, best artisans and producers, live moments you will never forget. 

The Archidado  was officially created in 1397 to celebrate the wedding of Francesco Casali, the Lord of Cortona, and Antonia Salimbeni, a noble woman from Siena. The Joust itself takes place on the second Sunday of June and is always anticipated by the Offer of Candles to S. Margherita (that with S. Marco is the patron saints of Cortona) that this year will take place on April 29 and 30. 
It's from June the 2nd until the 12th the Cortona is officially turned into a medieval wonderland, starting with the Medieval Market during wich you can taste delicious  old flavours,  be enchanted watching craftsmen shaping copper or making basketry, satisfy your shopping cravings with medieval jewels  paying with florins of Cortona, which are used as currency of exchange. A time of fun for all ages! 
Things start to be more serious during the Saturday preceeding the joust (that actually is a competion!): during the Tratta delle Verrette infact the moment of deciding the shooting order of the joust come and tension is visible on crossbowmen's eyes!  They are the primary protagonist of the Archidado, on Sunday, when they will show their ability, trying to hit the centre of the target, a slightly imperceptible dot to most of the people, but perfectly visible to them and their arrows.  It's a true emotion, staring at them while a crowded Piazza Signorelli is completely silent.

Courious to know who will win this year and celebrate during the conclusive Medieval Costume Dinner?
Live these emotions in your home right in the heart of Cortona, have a look at our proposals here  and start planning your experience. 

Find the complete calendar here: http://www.giostraarchidado.com/en/the-programm.aspx
Accommodations: http://www.rentintuscany.it/rentals/italy-23424853/checkIn:2016-06-02/checkOut:2016-06-13/sort:relevance 
Informations: click here ​
Organizers: http://www.giostraarchidado.com/en/the-protagonists/consiglio-dei-terzieri.aspx  and  http://www.sbandieratoricortona.com/​
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DOCUMENTS PLEASE!
In italy the Police can stop you any time and you must have with you your driving license and an identity document (passport, id card). If you fail to show them to the officers, you could be required to report to the police station for id check and/or be fined. 

SEAT BELTS
Seat belts are compulsory in Italy and in additional is compulsory for children until from 4  to 12 yo to be seated in the back of cars and wearing a seat belt. 

ROAD TYPES
Autostrada                                                         Motorway, marked by green signs
Superstrada                                                        Fast dual carriageway marked by blue signs 
Strada Statale/Nazionale                               Marked SS and SN, these are secondary roads also marked by blue signs 
Strada bianca                                                     Local road, generally signed and marked in white. These are usual  in countryside or in the mountains

SPEED LIMITS
Motorways/Autostrade                                   130 Km/h  
Superstrada                                                         90 Km/h
Built up areas/town                                          50 Km/h 

Good to know : Police speed checks and speed cameras have become more frequent in recent years; when cameras are in place there are signs warning that you are entering into a monitored area.

ROAD SIGNS AND REGULATIONS
Italian road signs are standardised to European norms. Circular signs are used to announce restrictions and the end of them. Most road signs are self-explanatory however below is a glossary of some less familiar terms:

Accendere i fari in galleria                              Switch lights in on a tunnel
Caduta massi                                                     Falling stones
Divieto di accesso                                            No entry 
Divieto di sorpasso                                          No overtaking 
Divieto di transito                                            No right of way 
Rallentare                                                           Slow down 
Rimozione                                                          Removal 
Senso unico                                                       One way street 
Pedaggio                                                            Toll 

There are few secrets to Tuscan cooking. Most dishes need no adorment or special seasoning but rely on the quality of the primary ingredients: fresh fruits and vegetables, green olive oil, meat, game, mushrooms, just to name a few. 
Some of these ingredients are prized and expensive but several of the best known and tasties dishes are based on leftovers,  memory of a time when Tuscan housewives couldn't afford to let anything go wasted. 
Consider for example the ingenious use of stale bread:
Bruschetta, for example, is sliced stale bread, toasted, rubbed with garlic and doused with extravirgin olive oil.  Crostini Neri, too, slices of toasted bread with chicken liver patè flavoured with capers. Panzanella, typical poor summer dish that combines stale bread soaked in water and crumbled with fresh red tomatoes, onions, cucumber and basil, dressed with extravifìrgin olive oil. 
Maybe the most famous of all leftovers meal is Ribollita : a vegetable soup with delicious Tuscan black cabbage, carrots, beans, pieces of bread.  It is a typical "poor " dish of peasant origin , whose name comes from the time when Tuscan women  at the beginning of the week cooked  a lot of vegetable soup reinforced with bread and then, the following days, it was "stewed " in the pan, from here it  takes the name of reboiled (ribollita), because the real soup is heated and boiled twice, (otherwise it would be a trivial soup of bread and vegetables !). 
Pappa al pomodoro is based on the same concept except that fresh tomatoes are used in place of the other vegetables. 

​Yummy, isnt't it?