Easter in Tuscany, traditions and typical flavors
Easter in Tuscany is a very pleasant celebration, beyond the religious component. In this period of the year the air is full of sweet aromas, filled with light, saturated with colors: the advent of spring makes the whole context special.
The resurrection of Christ is celebrated in the moment of the awakening of nature, in a common scenario of symbolic rebirth. Easter is synonymous with celebration, traditions, abundant lunches with family, picnics in the countryside… it is easy to understand why it is one of the most anticipated events on the calendar.
Traditions in Florence and surroundings
In Tuscany, every town actively join Easter celebrations, with re-enactments, masses, processions and liturgical songs. One of the most spectacular rites takes place in Florence, where every Easter Sunday citizens and tourists meet for the Burst of the Cart (Scoppio del Carro).
The protagonist of the day is the Brindellone, an amazing wagon originally created in 1622 and pulled through the streets of the city center by two white oxen. Once in Piazza San Giovanni, in front of the Duomo, the Florentines await, with bated breath and a heart full of hope, the flight of the dove. After the mass, in fact, the archbishop sets fire to the dove-shaped rocket and throws it towards the chariot. If, on impact, the fireworks carried on the Brindellone burn, the year will be lucky.
In Mugello, precisely in Borgo San Lorenzo, every Good Friday is renewed an ancient tradition, mother of the saying "go around the 7 churches" (“fare il giro delle 7 chiese”). Citizenship parades in procession in front of the two churches of the village and those of adjacent municipalities, in an evocative rite expanding throughout the day.
Easter delicacies
Besides rites and traditions, Holy Week brings along set tables and sins of gluttony, even more appreciated after the renunciations imposed by Lent. Precisely this period gives its name to the quaresimali, biscuits in the shape of letters and rich in cocoa, very popular in Florence and its surroundings.
Easter lunch is the ideal opportunity to rediscover authentic flavors, with the those you love, after the traditional Mass. In Tuscany, the banquet opens with a great appetizer composed by croutons, cold cuts and cheeses accompanied by jams and honey (in Mugello the truffled honey is a must).
The first courses are the triumph of abundance, for sight, smell and taste: lasagna with selected meat and bechamel, Mugello potato tortelli with meat sauce, fresh pasta with seasonal ingredients such as asparagus and artichokes. In the most refined menus, such as that of Enoteca del Monsignore, lasagna is ennobled with the scents of black truffle and fresh ricotta, excellences of our territory.
Among the main courses, a special place deserves the lamb, flavored with rosemary and citrus zest, or declined in more traditional recipes, baked with potatoes or stewed with a tomato sauce. Florentine-style peas naturally complete the lamb, giving sweetness and sapidity at the same time.
At the end of the lunch, you can enjoy artisanal colombe, pan di ramerino (fragrant leavened product typical of Florence) and cantucci dipped in vinsanto liqueur, our secret for the best digestion.