Tuscany is well-known for her rich culinary heritage and scene and, as a result, is home to an endless list of local and famous food festivals. These festivals honour saints, celebrate local specialities, commemorate historic events, and highlight seasonal harvests and dishes and often have one dish or product that is the star of the show (though you’ll find plenty of other excellent things to taste as well). As a result of the quantity of these festivals and the long list of different specialities and products that are honoured, those with preferences for specific foods will very likely be able to find a celebration dedicated to exactly the thing they love.
So, for example, if you’re a peach fan, you’ll be well served by browsing our Tuscany Villas and booking a vacation rental in Florence come late August to mid-September, when the Queen Peach will be reigning!
The Queen Peach, or Pesca Regina, of Londa is a highly revered culinary gem of the wider province of Florence that has put the charming town of Londa on the gastronomic map. Cultivated in this pretty town, not far from Florence, for the past fifty years, it is a late-blooming peach that is known for being especially delicious. The Sagra della Pesca Regina, or "Festival of the Queen Peach," meanwhile, is an annual event dedicated to the incredibly sweet Pesca Regina di Londa.
Arrive in mid-September to savor the queen of peaches at their peak. Plus, the town itself is picturesque, nestled against misty mountains and accessible via the pretty Ponte Sul Rincine, an old and photogenic bridge.
During the festival, meanwhile, the town bustles with life, hosting a series of concerts, markets, cooking competitions (including a polenta contest), a contest to crown the year's best peach producers, and culminating in a dazzling fireworks display on the banks of the town lake.
The festival dates vary each year, usually occurring in mid-September but occasionally starting as early as late August. Prior to your trip, be certain to double-check to ensure that the festival aligns with your visit because, for a devoted food-lover spending time eating and savouring delicious things on vacation in Florence, it is an absolute must!
So, if you are a big peach fan, book a villa in Florence and plan a late summer holiday in Tuscany this year to taste some of the most incredible examples that you will ever encounter in your life.