Ticket Museum In Tuscany

Getting the most for your time at the Tuscan  Museums:Why be bothered waiting in long hot lines, when you can reserve a spot in advance at one of the more famous museums in all of Tuscany.  Do it yourself, with contained reservation fees - read about this and other museums right here.
Or why bother waiting in any lines when you aren't sure if this is the right museum.  There are so many truely interesting places in the many towns of Tuscany - check out the places you might be interested in before you get to the ticket booth.



Organize before you arrive and save yourself the long hot and uncomfortable wait outside of the Uffizi to Botticelli or outside of the Academia to see the ever famous Davide by Micheangelo.  One of my favorite museums which has just opend up again after a few years of restorations is the   Palazzo Davanzanti  you can view a medieval home with various tools and furnishings which would have been present at this time.  Another off the beaten track - but very easy to get to is Bargello.  This Museum is famous not only for the wealth of material inside but also for the incredible building that houses it (its also very close to one of my favorite restaurants Yellow Bar)




Information and Booking
Contact Firenze Musei, Tel: +39 055294883
Booking charge : € 3,00 per person. plus the cost of the ticket into the museum
 
Call - they speak English!  They will reserve the date and time with you and you pay when you come to pick up the tickets at the museum.  CLICK HERE  for more details from the official site in English on the several museums which are open to the public, including the cost, the times they are open and the days they are open.

Got kids who might not sit through a museum tour -- but you are looking for something other ice cream for them to remember Florence by  Palazzo Vecchio in the city center has a few interesting options, including a tour of a secret passage way and guided tours of the cieling in the older rooms (walk among the rafters to see how the cieling was built!)  Check out the site below, it is in English and you can phone or email them for more info (in English!) for children of all ages --- including big ones (like those over 35 year old :))
CLICK HERE FOR KIDS MUSEUM INFO


Most people know they want to see Siena - they have heard lots of great stories about Siena but what is it really all about? 

• Keep in mind that Siena can get PACKED - and in the summertime it can get HOT - so what does this mean to you? 

Head over there early and enjoy the cool mornings and uncrowded bars and cafes or hang out there in the afternoon (in the summer after 5pm) when you can start to enjoy the locals come to life.  Early spring, late fall and the winter are great times to visit without lots of pushing, crowds and hot, long lines (even for the bathrooms!)
Of all the Museums the one which is probably most visited is the Duomo  or cathedral is a beautiful building, a mix of Gothic and Romanesque architecture with dark green and white marble in the facade.  One of its main attractions is the marble-inlaid floor, to which many artists contributed.  There is a line to get and a ticket - so check out the time schedule before roaing around (because there is no shade while you wait!!)



However the Museo Civico in the main square of Siena including the Torre di Mangia (a very tight trip to the top of the tower...if you are ambitious and explorative GO FOR IT!) is a close runner up.  For a virtual tour of the Museum itself  check out this link.
There is also a secret place that most don't know about in Siena is the underground water system and you can pick up more info and request a private tour at this link. 



According to the late fourteenth-century papers of Siena, in 1176 the friars of the Carmine Monastery dug and found a vein of water of some importance, a discovery that for a long time legitimated later searches and prolonged the story of the underground river. The Sienese squandered time and money for centuries in the search of this legendary underground river, to which they gave the name "Diana," even though no historical records ever proved its existence.
This link of Siena will give you an extensive view of the museums and their official sites in Siena as well as a lot of fun info on Siena itself.  You can even book ahead  for the Museo Civico,  I know the page is in Italian so I will give you a quick overview - you can send a fax (+39 0577 226265 o +39 0577 46829)  indicating the date you would like to visit the number of persons (and their ages so they can tell you if there are any special rates).
Include an email address and / or fax number so the office can confirm.  You will have to pay for the tickets in advance (probably by a money transfer or cashiers check in Euros at least four days before your appointment.)  The good things is they give you a discount for doing everything in advance!

More about Tuscan Fairs and events in March

Dear Readers

We sifted through a long list of possible activites and picked those which we accessed to be characteristic - fun and in areas easy to find. We have based our list on info provided by the local governments - however we are not responsabile if these activities are cancelled, moved or unavailable.

March 24,25,26 at Certaldo:
Sagra del Tartufo Marzuolo, Food festival for Truffles marzuolo (from March). They serve dinner on the 17 18 19 as well as the 24 25 26 of March BUT they also serve lunch on the 19 and 26.

This is very requested and you MUST make a reservation - however I can say it is also delicious!! Click here for a Reservation Form or call +39 0571.668974,cell +39 338.7415160


MIXED ANTIPASTO
Crostini with Truffles Polenta Crostini with truffles, Crostini alla toscana Vol-Au-Vent
Antipasto del tartufaio

PASTA
Tagliolini with truffles, Ravioli with truffles Gnocchi with 4 cheese, Farfalle with tomato sauce

MAIN COURSE
Carpaccio with truffles and parmigiano Supreme of Chicken with white wine, Nodino di veal with truffles, Omelet truffles, Tagliata with truffles,
Artista al tartufo VEGGIES
Mixed Salad
French fries
Sauteed Spinach

SWEETS Home made,
Cantuccini con Vinsanto

Seasonal Fruit

DRINKS Wine and water
WHERE IS Certaldo, Pisa, Tuscany ? About 54 km from Florence; 117 km from Arezzo; 41 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 104 km




March 25 & April 1 at Scarperia:

Sagra del Tortello, Large potato filled ravioli, see SAGRA for more information on what a sagra is.

WHERE IS Scarperia, Florence, Tuscany ? About 35 km from Florence; 125 km from Arezzo; 111 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 180 km

If you would like more infor on this historic town which makes up part of the Prettiest Towns in Itay Club - then click here for more detailed info : Scarperia



March 26 at Castiglion Fiorentino:

Mostra scambio e degustazioni, Flea market for antique and used objects as well as a showcase for local artisans. You will also find several stands with local food products.

WHERE IS Castiglion Fiorentino, Arezzo, Tuscany ? About 88 km from Florence; 17 km from Arezzo; 68 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 200 km


March 26 at Corsalone:

Sagra della Fritella, Food Festival for the "Fritella" made with rice. Saint Joseph is the traditional Father's day celebration in Italy and typically Fritella is a small round ball made of flour, rice and egg - sometimes raisins and pine nuts - fried to a crisp and served hot. You will find both wine and fritelle made by the locals on sale here.

WHERE IS Corsalone, Arezzo, Tuscany ? About 60 km from Florence; 30 km from Arezzo; 115 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 215 km


April 1 & 2 at Arezzo:
Fiera Antiquaria, Antique Fair - this is probably one of the largest and oldest antique fairs in Tuscany. The fair spreads through almost all of the historic center of Arezzo in the streets and various shops - it is huge and fun you will find great buys, lots of restaurants and a beautiful setting.

WHERE IS Arezzo, Tuscany ? About 76 km from Florence; 0 km from Arezzo; 88 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 187 km

Tuscany Fairs in March

Dear Readers

We have sifted through a long list of possible activites and picked those which we accessed to be characteristic - fun and in areas easy to find. We have based our list on info provided by the local governments - however we are not responsabile if these activities are cancelled, moved or unavailable.


March 7 - March 21

The weeks before Easter are filled with local traditional and sweets called Cenci

March 8 at San Giovanni Valdarno:

Fiera della Salacca, salacca is slang in Italian for a type of salted fish and as custom would have it the weeks before Easter meat was banned and dishes based on this ingredient were numerous. Many towns celebrate this event by either bringing out the local variations of the salacca or arringa.

WHERE IS San Giovanni, Arezzo, Tuscany ? About 50 km from Florence; 35 km from Arezzo; 50 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 200 km


March 11 and 12 at Montepulciano:

Fiera Arti e Antiquariato. Local antique fair held ever second Sunday of the month and the Saturday before the second Sunday of the month.

WHERE IS Montepulciano, Siena, Tuscany ? About 110 km from Florence; 52 km from Arezzo; 60 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal city) 250 km

March 11 and 12 at Pisa:

Fiera dell'Antiquariato Modernariato e Artiginato. With over 100 booths this is a local antique fair held ever second Sunday of the month and the Saturday before the second Sunday of the month. (EXCEPT for the month of July and August)

WHERE IS Pisa, (via U.Dini, P.za Cavalieri, Via Corsia, P.za Buonamici, Via dei Mille, P.za Cavallotti, Via S. Maria) Tuscany ? About 105 km from Florence; 180 km from Arezzo; 168 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal city) 68 km



March 12 & 19 at Chiesina Uzzanese:

Fiera di San Giuseppe, Sagra della Fritella di Riso, Fair for Saint Joseph and the food festival for the "Fritella" made with rice Saint Joseph is the traditional Father's day celebration in Italy and typically Fritella is a small round ball made of flour, rice and egg - sometimes raisins and pine nuts - fried to a crisp and served hot. As per the indications from the local goverenment there should be free samples distributed here!

WHERE IS Chiesina Uzzanese, Pistoia, Tuscany ? About 50 km from Florence; 130 km from Arezzo; 120 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 102 km

March 12 at San Miniato:

Mercantino arti e mestieri, Market for art and antique hand crafts. The charming little town of San Miniato will set up approximately 30 booths showing and selling various types of products.

WHERE IS San Miniato, Pisa, Tuscany ? About 40 km from Florence; 115 km from Arezzo; 100 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 78 km


March 18 & 19 at Torrita di Siena:

Palio dei Somari, Mule Race in Historical Dress. A weekend filled with colorful costums, racing mules and lots of yelling and cheering for your favorite team - and a demostration which recreates the fanfare of yesteryear. There will be flag throwing contests, historic parades and of course the racing of the mules!

To serve a place at the medieval banquet please contact

Riccardo Roghi riccardo.roghi@aliceposta.it Home: +39 0577-684105 Cell: +39 339 2906081


WHERE IS Torrita di Siena, Pisa, Tuscany ? About 100 km from Florence; 45 km from Arezzo; 53 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 200 km

March 17,18,19 and 24,25,26 at Certaldo:

Sagra del Tartufo Marzuolo, Food festival for Truffles marzuolo (from March). They serve dinner on the 17 18 19 as well as the 24 25 26 of March BUT they also serve lunch on the 19 and 26.



This is very requested and you MUST make a reservation - however I can say it is also delicious!! Click here for a Reservation Form or call +39 0571.668974,cell +39 338.7415160


MIXED ANTIPASTO
Crostini with Truffles Polenta Crostini with truffles, Crostini alla toscana Vol-Au-Vent
Antipasto del tartufaio

PASTA
Tagliolini with truffles, Ravioli with truffles Gnocchi with 4 cheese, Farfalle with tomato sauce

MAIN COURSE
Carpaccio with truffles and parmigiano Supreme of Chicken with white wine, Nodino di veal with truffles, Omelet truffles, Tagliata with truffles,
Artista al tartufo VEGGIES
Mixed Salad
French fries
Sauteed Spinach

SWEETS Home made,
Cantuccini con Vinsanto

Seasonal Fruit

DRINKS Wine and water
WHERE IS Certaldo, Pisa, Tuscany ? About 54 km from Florence; 117 km from Arezzo; 41 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 104 km

March 18 & 19 at Montefioralle:

Sagra della Fritella di Riso, Food Festival for the "Fritella" made with rice Saint Joseph is the traditional Father's day celebration in Italy and typically Fritella is a small round ball made of flour, rice and egg - sometimes raisins and pine nuts - fried to a crisp and served hot. You will find both wine and fritelle made by the locals on sale here.

WHERE IS Montefioralle (Greve in Chianti), Florence, Tuscany ? About 30 km from Florence; 74 km from Arezzo; 60 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 142 km


March 18 & 19 at Cigoli (San Miniato):

Sagra del Tartufo Marzuolo, Food Festival for Truffles Marzuolo (harvested in March). There is a market and booths as well as a menu featuring many different local dishes with Truffles Starts in the evening around 8 PM - you don't need reservations, but it probably doesn't hurt to get there early!

WHERE IS Cigoli, Pisa, Tuscany ? (Cigoli is about 5 km west of San Miniato) About 40 km from Florence; 115 km from Arezzo; 100 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 78 km


March 19 at Guardistallo (Cecina):

Sagra della Crogiantina e delle Fritelle, Food Festival for Tuscan bread with olive oil and the Fritelle (sweets). Toasted Tuscan bread with a little bit of garlic - salt -pepper and of course extra virgin olive oil. A classic not to be missed. This great little town on the coast offers the best in culinary classics.

WHERE IS Guardistallo (Guardistallo is about 9 km east of Cecina), Pisa, Tuscany ? About 160 km from Florence; 235 km from Arezzo; 80 km from Siena; Cecina (Coastal City) 9 km

Useful telephone advices in Tuscany

So how do you make a phone call in Tuscany?

It is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3 if you already know the answers. We have done a little footwork for you and provided a list of helpful ideas for making your vacation in Tuscany as relaxing as possible.
Using a phone in Italy can be confusing for first time travellers - or anyone for that matter. What should you know about making international phone calls?

Trying to call home?

Any calls going out of Italy need to have a country code in front of them. Country codes can be seen as either a + sign and a number or a number with two 00 in front:

EXAMPLE: +1 (303) 640-4339 or 001 202 600 4339

EXAMPLE: +44 020 7841 1349 or 0044 050 7871 1349

When you see the + in front of the number you automatically translate that into two zeros. When you punch the number into the phone you can digit either two zeros, or press the + sign on the phone until it appears in the digitial display.


How do I use the public phone system?

Tuscany, like every place else is being changed daily by the new terchnology in the world of communications. Originally public phones where found in bars and assigned houses - you will still see white round signs with a red telephone on them to indicate a public phone - however don't count on them being valid! If they are still in use, the owner can you tell how many scatta or clicks there were and you paid according to the number of clicks (cost per click will vary according to the owner of the phone).

The more advance system was the coin operated pay phones - which have almost all been replaced with pay phones that will either use a scheda telefonica, a prepaid phone card which you can by at almost any newspaper stand, or a credit card.

Unfortunately not all of the pay phones take both coins and prepaid cards, so you need to check it out before you use it - however on the up side, many of the new phones are digital and they have indications in four languages - and English and German are two fo these languages!


How can someone call me?

That depends where they are calling from and what their provider want them to dail - but generally speaking when coming out of the States the caller needs to dial 011 39 and then the number, the full number including all the zeros. Some place in Europe have zeros on the beginning of the number but then they lose them when making international calls - this is NOT the case in Italy, they have their 0s and they love to keep them.

So if you found a local number: 055 467 856 you would dial it like so

0039 055 467 856

+39 055 467 856

from the USA: 01139 055 467 856

PS: many people forget but there is a 6 hour time difference between Italy and the USA New York City, then add hours according to where you are in the States. There is a one hour difference in the UK.


Can I bring my cell phone in Italy?

Sure, but before you do check to see if it is a GSM or a three band phone. The other thing is remember you will need to charge your phone, so remember a converter!
the following three answers have been taken from http://www.allworldcellphones.com/international-cell-phone-plans.htm , which we found to have some good helpful hints

In general, to use a cell phone overseas, you will need a GSM cell phone. GSM is short for "Global Service for Mobile Communication " and it is the mobile communications standard used across most of the world. One feature unique to GSM cell phones is that they all utilize a small semiconductor chip known as a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module Card) which, among other things, stores the data that identifies the caller to the network service provider. In the United States, the only major cell phone providers utilizing GSM are Cingular (including some of the customers that Cingular acquired from AT&T) and T-Mobile. Sprint, Verizon and Alltel operate on a different wireless standard known as CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and Nextel utilizes yet another type of wireless service known as iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network). Since CDMA and iDEN cell phones cannot be used to place calls over GSM networks (and since GSM is the type of cell phone service used in the majority of the world), most Verizon, Sprint, Alltel and Nextel customers will find that their international roaming options are very limited. Even if your U.S. cell phone provider is Cingular or T-Mobile and your phone is a GSM cell phone, the odds are strong that it will still be useless outside of North America.


What do you mean "unlocked" and why is this important?

Most U.S. cell phone providers "lock" their cell phones so that you can't use the phones they issue with any other cell phone provider. Unless your cell phone is "unlocked", it can only be used with the service of the company that issued it. If your phone is not "unlocked" (even if it operates on the proper bands for you to use it overseas), the only way to use it overseas would be through your US cell phone company's "international roaming" plan. These international roaming plans will typically cost you around $1.00 to $7.00 per minute for the calls you make as well as for any incoming calls that you might receive!

What alternative is there to expensive "international roaming" plans?

For most people, we recommend buying and using prepaid SIM cards from a vendor like Cellular Abroad or Telestial. The RATES ARE TYPICALLY MUCH LOWER and in many countries you also get FREE INCOMING CALLS. If your cell phone is a GSM phone and it works on the proper frequencies, see if your cell phone provider will help you to "unlock" the phone. If so, you will only need to buy the prepaid SIM card(s) to save. (Be sure to also verify that your phone's charger can plug in and use the proper voltage for the electrical system in the country or countries where you'll be travelling.) If you have the wrong type of cell phone or you can't get it unlocked, Telestial or Cellular Abroad can sell you an unlocked world phone that you can use. If this is just too confusing and you aren't sure what to make of all of this, just ask them. They are very helpful and more than willing to explain everything you need to know!

Ricotta Cake

Ricotta Cake


Many times the Italians just lump all cheese in the salata category - thinking that it is best eaten with the main course but there are some special exceptions on the menu where the cheese can go either way depending on the condiments served. Ricotta cheese is great with either salty foods or sweet foods and in this receipe it is great as a dessert.


Ingredients:

500 gr. of fresh, creamy ricotta cheese
100 gr. sugar
150 gr. whipping cream
2 eggs whites
Whip egg whites and set aside.

Mix ricotta cheese, sugar and whipping cream together. Mix well.

Add egg whites.

Served chilled with fresh fruit (strawberries, peaches or raspberries).

It has a rich creamy texture like a thick vanilla pudding!

The Cathedral Church of Massa Marittima

Massa Marittima erects itself on the top of a very high hill, dominating 360-degrees landscapes.


The duomo emerges at the top of a flight of steps in the beautiful Piazza Garibaldi, heart and focal point of the mediaeval city.
Built in the 13th century in Romanesque-Gothic style, of note is the beautiful façade with arches and small loggias surmounted by pinnacles. The pointed bell tower is characterised by a series of fine four-light windows.

Some points to ponder: the true Tuscany in Italy

Why are there so many non Italian-Tuscany?

Especially in countries other than Italy where there is no real Tuscany, a lot of business is taking place and naming this hotel or that restaurant "Tuscany This" or "Tuscany That".

Maybe I am a little too harsh against the cheap tricks of business, but the solution would be so easy. Simple furniture, plain walls, some spare brick design on walls, wood, dried flowers, table cloths!. Ever been to Olive Garden? The opposite.

However there is one difficult thing to recreate about the Italian-Tuscany, and that is nature. Some of the landscapes and colors are really difficult to get anywhere else.

Considering what you can find in the Italian-Tuscany compared to the Somewhere-else-Tuscany, and how convenient is to get to Tuscany from almost anywhere in the world, it is difficult to find sucha an intriguing combination of advantages.

The Italian and Tuscan Kitchen Style

Warm colours, fine finishings, hand-painted tiling around the cooking area, maybe marble...

Yes, because Tuscany kitchens are mainly thought to please who is in them, cooking. By trying to enhance the comfort of the cook, the kitchen is actually enhancing the cooking abilities.
I guess you know how important kooking is in Italy and mostly in Tuscany, a region which has always kept its culinary roots very deep into the farmer tradition of simple ingredients.
Since the ingredients are simple they have to be good and the cook has to pair them up wisely, or the result will be just poor.

For example: Tuscany kitchens rarely have (or should not have) the so-called island, a very en-vougue feature of modern kitchens. Why?
The reason lay in the Tuscan cooking itself: with so many erbs to mix, garlic to chop and minch, vegetables, broths, little ingredients and so many passages between one stage of the cooking and another, do you really think a kitchen island is a good idea?


It is not, because you need continuity between the stove and the sink, with a large clean space in the middle where to work, let the ingredients rest, or works-in-progress be ready to enter into action. The island would just take up space from Tuscany kitchens.

In addition, let's not forget that traditionally, Tuscany kitchens are a free space where the family used to gather, warm up, discuss. That is why the Tuscany kitchen should be large enough to be elevated at the rank of eat-in kitchen.

So, your Tuscany kitchen will be "L" shaped, against the colder wall of the kitchen (fridge loves cold, the stove warms up the colder walls), entirely in wood or with wooden finishings, large and with a big entrance that embraces family and guests.