Thousands of foodies will find sweet treats in the Tuscan village of Montefioralle this March during the Fritelle Festival.
(TRAVPR.COM) UK - March 11th, 2013 - Foodies with a sweet tooth could be quite likely to find themselves in the medieval hamlet of Montefioralle in the middle of March for the town’s 44th Annual Fritelle Festival.
In celebration of Saint Joseph’s Day, Tuscans gather to savour the sweet delights of rustic rice cakes, a glass of local Chianti, and good company. Held every year since 1969, the Fritelle Festival actually has roots dating back to the Renaissance.
Part of the fun is not just the sweet treats that visitors will get to taste, it is the traditional collective frying of the fritelles, which begins at 3.00 p.m. in a cauldron measuring two metres in diameter and holding 250 kilograms of hot oil.
History enthusiasts will be interested to note that Montefioralle, which is still enclosed within its original walls, is also the birthplace of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. During the Middle Ages, the village was one of the largest administrative and military centres in the region until it was sacked in the early 1300s.
The 2013 Montefioralle Fritelle Festival is scheduled to take place on 17 and 18 March. Festivities will run from 12.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. on Sunday. The traditional frying of the fritelles will commence at 3.00 p.m. each day.
Montefioralle is a small peaceful settlement, virtually free of cars, just outside Greve in the Chianti region of Italy. Those attending the Fritelle Festival will have access to a Montefioralle to Greve bus, however many opt for the twenty minute walk through the countryside in order to enjoy the Italian spring.
For more information on the Montefioralle Fritelle Festival, visit http://www.montefioralle.info/.
Anyone looking for accommodation during the event can visit Quality Villas Italy on http://www.qualityvillasitaly.co.uk/ for a selection of luxury self-catering holiday homes in the area.
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