Fierucola in San Baronto!

One of the most traditional fest in San Baronto, is the “Fierucola”, a market of local artisanal products from furniture to gastronomy, from wine to oil. Most of the products proceed from local farms and are made following ecological and biological standard of production. The fest took place on the second and the last Saturday and Sunday of August.

Among the products that you can taste, don’t forget “Brigidini” a typical sweet snack of Montalbano’s region. The “Brigidini” are a thin, crispy wafers made from a batter of eggs, sugar, flour and anise. According to legend, they were produced for the first time in the XIV century by Sister Brigida, a Clarissa nun; while preparing the batter for the Host, she made a mistake and added egg and sugar to the unleavened batter. The other nuns tasted the batter and decided to add anise and cook it. This is the way in which Brigidini are made, and today they are made in the same way as Sister Brigida.

San Baronto and Montalbano are also famous for the oil. The oil produced in northern Tuscany has  unique characteristics thanks to the latitude and to the climate. The olive plants that grow here are smaller than those in southern Italy and the production is 10 time smaller because of less mild weather conditions, especially in the winter. However, the quality of the Tuscan oil is recognized as being less acid, more fruity, flavorful and more balanced. The Tuscan IGP mark, with additional Montalbano geographic mention, is reserved to the extra virgin oil obtained from Frantoio, Moraiolo, Leccino, Pendolino, Rossellino and Piangente olives.

And do not forget the wine! Among the wines produced in Montalbano, first mention goes to the Chianti Montalbano DOCG, sub-zone of the Chianti territory. The high quality of this wine has been known since the XIII century, when it was sent, each year, to the tables of the Bishops of Pistoia, as a tribute. The grapes used to make Chianti Montalbano are those typical of Chianti: Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Tuscan Trebbiano and/or Malvasia del Chianti. It should be preferably served with meat and game, local cheeses and legumes. The production area includes Capraia e Limite, Carmignano, Lamporecchio, San Baronto, Larciano, Monsummano Terme, Quarrata, Serravalle Pistoiese and Vinci.