One of the best things about a summer vacation in Tuscany, especially for foodies, is the vast number of sagre or food festivals that you can attend. Almost every town has its own local speciality and an annual food festival that celebrates that. Usually not massive affairs but, rather, small local events with good food at even better prices, music, and festivities and excitement, it is a chance to get a really authentic taste of Tuscany...
Eating Well At Excellent Prices
Some sagre have become larger-scale events with more elements, attractions, and things to see and do. However, for the vast majority, it is mainly just about eating that local speciality. This can be anything from a specific kind of pasta, to a fruit or vegetable that is grown in the area, to a kind of fish or meat dish with a long history in the region. Hundreds or thousands of plates of this speciality are then served up for the duration of the event, usually only costing a few euros per person. Sometimes larger menus are also served, costing more but giving you a greater opportunity to sample the local delicacies.
Eating Authentically Tuscan
Not only do these dishes delight the thrifty traveller or the bargain-hunter but for foodies who are always after an authentic experience, you can’t get much better than this. Mingle with locals from the area itself and others from neighbouring towns, explore a pretty Tuscan location that might not otherwise have been on your itinerary, and sample some hyper-local and specific dishes that you might not find elsewhere – this is the kind of authentic dining experience that you won’t get anywhere else!
Eating Often
If this all sounds good to you or if you happen to attend an event and get a taste for it, then you will be happy to note the long list of similar sagre that can be enjoyed all throughout the region during your stay in one of our villas with pools in Tuscany.
Here are some of the sagre that will take place in Tuscany throughout July and August 2026:
July 4 – July 13, 2026
San Piero A Grado
Celebrating the pine nut, this food festival in the town of San Piero A Grado uses the ingredient in dishes like classic Tuscan crostini with chicken livers made with crunchy pine nuts, pappardelle with wild boar topped with pine nuts, aromatic stews and side dishes where pine nuts are used for texture and taste, and desserts enhanced with pine nuts.
Sagra della focaccetta
July 4 – July 6, 2026
Quercia
For this sagra, visitors will get to enjoy small focaccia with an incredible array of possible fillings including cheeses such as stracchino, gorgonzola, and formaggetta di mucca as well as cured meats like pancetta, mortadella, and local charcuterie.
July 2 – July 26, 2026
Massarosa
An option for the more adventurous eater, this sagra celebrates two iconic ingredients of Tuscan peasant cuisine traditions: frogs and snails. The snails are used to make stews and the frogs are used in crispy fried dishes or as a base for rich pasta sauces. Music, dancing, markets, exhibitions, and children’s activities add to the experience.
Festa della fiorentina
July 4 – July 5, 2026
Pavana di Sambuca Pistoiese
This festival, meanwhile, is for the steak-lovers with the Florentine-style steak of Tuscany at the centre of the event. Side dishes and other offerings will be at hand but it’s really all about that steak...
Sagra della Zuppa
July 10 – July 20, 2026
Massarella
Enjoy an impossibly hearty and tasty soup made of stale Tuscan bread, cannellini beans, black cabbage, seasonal vegetables, and with a base of ham bone. Other side dishes will be served up alongside the centrepiece and each night celebrations with free DJ sets and parties will take place for the duration of the ten-day event.
La cacciuccata
July 25 – July 27, 2026
Rosignano Solvay
With cacciucco, a savoury Tuscan fish soup made with a variety of rock fish, mollusks and shellfish that is served hot along with toasted garlic-infused bread, at the centre of this food festival and an array of other seafood dishes prepared alongside it, this is the sagra for seafood fans. Enjoyed with musical accompaniments under the stars along the Tuscan Coast, this is a must for foodies who book one of our villas on the Tuscan Coast.
Sagra della Polenda a Palle
August 2 – August 17, 2026
Spianate
Transforming polenta into small, perfectly seasoned, bite-sized balls, this dish is served up with wild boar ragù, or with porcini mushrooms, or with sausage. Tuscan cheeses and delicious local wines enhance the dining experience and music and games enjoyed alongside the culinary portion of the event cap off perfect evenings in this pretty town.
La Sagra del Raviolo
August 13 – August 17, 2026
Contignano
Surrounded by the most stunning landscapes of the Val D’Orcia, this pretty town transforms into one large open-air eatery as long rows of tables line the narrow streets and are laden with the star of the show: ravioli! Filled with fresh ricotta and spinach and either served with a perfect butter and sage sauce or tomato sauce and local pecorino, this is the ideal way to experience this classic dish while staying in one of our vacation rentals in the Val D'Orcia.
August 28 – September 8, 2026
Montecarlo
Then, of course, there would have to be a wine festival on this list! This one takes place in this pretty medieval village in the heart of the province of Lucca and serves up incredible wines from wineries in the area alongside cheeses, cured meats, and other delicacies and dishes from the region. Join a tasting, learn something about Tuscan wine, and enjoy some amazing vintages in an incredible setting!