When autumn rolls around in Tuscany, truffle season is one of the things on every food-lover’s mind. For those wanting to get a head start, Volterragusto is just one of the first in a season of wonderful local food festivals dedicated to the precious and earthy tubers.
Held in the ancient hilltop town of Volterra, the annual autumn food festival showcases, along with local white truffles, some of the surrounding areas’ most tempting produce, such as olive oil, wine, cheese and chocolate.
White truffles are a little trick of Mother Nature: they grow spontaneously in oak and poplar forests, relying on the perfect climatic conditions and wild animals roaming the forest floors to spread their spores. Italy is blessed with several important areas of production of the prestigious white truffles, including the Tuscan areas of San Miniato (one of the biggest truffle-producing areas in Italy) and the Val d’Orcia, as well as Umbria. While the northern Italian town of Alba in Piemonte hosts possibly the best-known and most prestigious truffle festival of all, Tuscany’s local truffle festivals are nothing to be sniffed at.
Held the last two weekends of October, the main draw of Volterragusto is the gastronomic stands offering freshly gathered seasonal white truffles from local areas. White truffles are highly prized for their rarity and their superior perfume and taste over black truffles. They are expensive little nuggets but, luckily, a small amount goes a long way with white truffles, which are best used simply, like freshly grated over some fresh egg pasta or scrambled eggs, for example. For those who may want more of a browse or just a taste, the historical cellars of Palazzo de Luigi (via Don Minzoni 19) host truffle tastings, ongoing throughout the festival days from noon to 8pm.
Together with the gastronomic stands that fill the historical centre of the city, Volterragusto also holds food-themed events that range from book presentations to Tuscan cigar and chocolate pairings. Here are a couple of key picks to put on your calendar:
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23
The Palio dei Caci is one of those events that the whole family will enjoy. A blend of food and sport, it’s a race: the competing contrade (district teams) of Volterra roll wheels of cheese through the ancient streets of the city. The contest begins at 3pm on via Franceschini with a parade of historic flag throwers and musicians opening the event.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1
Truffle fans will want to be part of the festival’s special truffle hunt. This free event begins at 2:30pm in Volterra’s beautiful Enrico Fiumi park, famous for its ancient Etruscan archaeological site. From there, follow the local tartufai (truffle hunters) and their trusty dogs to see where and how they uncover their prized truffles. Explanations and anecdotes complete the insight into this fascinating autumn tradition. Another flag throwing parade with musicians begins at 3:30pm in Piazza dei Priori. See TF 130 for truffle hunting tips!
GETTING THERE
The easiest and fastest way to reach Volterra is by car. From Florence take the Firenze-Siena highway towards Siena about 40 kilometers to the Colle Val d’Elsa exit and follow the signs to Volterra another 20 kilometers or so west. As you wind your way up the hill into the town, pass under an arch and look for the COOP grocery market on your right. Take the next right where you’ll find a sign for the P. Docciola parking lot. Follow the tree-lined street along a stone wall on your left, bearing left at the first intersection. The large dirt parking lot will be on your right. If you’re the more adventurous kind, take the bus. Find bus schedules at www.sitabus.it.
VOLTERRAGUSTO takes place in the ancient Tuscan town of Volterra (see TF 127 for a travel itinerary) and features a local products market around the logge di Palazzo Pretorio (Piazza dei Priori) and a white truffle market in the cellars of Palazzo Minucci-Solaini (look for the Pinacoteca Civica) in Via dei Sarti 1. For 2011, the markets are open daily, from 10am to 8pm, on the weekends of October 22-23, and October 29-November 1. For more information, visit www.volterragusto.com or email info@volterragusto.com.
