Go to main content

A sweet journey through a Valdinievole waiting to be tasted

From the Montecatini wafers to the “bridigino” pastries of Lamporecchio, you can stroll while savoring the territory

The flavors, views and aromas are among the things that stay with you after a trip. They attach themselves to the memory of taste, sight and smell and remain there, like in a scrapbook of memories.

Contents
  • 1.
    Montecatini wafers
  • 2.
    Homemade chocolate
  • 3.
    The “brigidini” pastries of Lamporecchio
1.

Montecatini wafers

Montecatini wafers
Montecatini wafers

There are delicacies that tell you about the people of a place, their history and culinary traditions. Some are lovely stories.

Like that of the Montecatini wafers, invented by the creative Bohemian pastry chefs who fled the city in wartime and left the Bargilli family of Montecatini to carry on their business and bring their very tasty, simple and natural recipe to life. A golden circle made from two sheets of pastry with an Apulian almond filling in the center, without the addition of butter or other fats. A product to enjoy on its own or with tea or sweet wines. Some people also appreciate the Montecatini wafer with ice cream, perhaps while strolling through the streets of the Tuscan spa town.

1.

Homemade chocolate

Default

Would you ever have thought that Tuscany could be the capital of chocolate? Well, indeed it is!

In fact, the area between Pistoia, Prato and Pisa is the "Chocolate Valley, where you can go on a tasting tour of the best homemade chocolates, some of which have also won international awards. The Masters - in the Valdinievole valley - can be found in Massa e Cozzile, Monsummano Terme, Pescia and Lamporecchio.

1.

The “brigidini” pastries of Lamporecchio

“Brigidini” pastries of Lamporecchio
“Brigidini” pastries of Lamporecchio - Credit: Geekr

In the midst of a local festival, in some small villages in the Pistoia area, tasting the famous “brigidini” pastries of Lamporecchio, possibly freshly made by a sweet seller on the street, is a must.

This very thin, crispy and fragrant little wafer with a spiky shape has an intense flavor, with an aniseed aftertaste. A wafer made of eggs, sugar and flour, described as a "speciale trastullo" (special plaything) by gastronome Pellegrino Artusi. "Trastullarsi," in Tuscan, means to play around: in fact, the “brigidino” is a pastry that can also be enjoyed while strolling, chatting with friends or family and enjoying the festive atmosphere in the village.

These sweet products can also be a welcome souvenir of your trip, like a tasty postcard of Valdinievole, reminding you to come back and tantalize your palate once again. This is also part of traveling.

Start your discovery

Must-see places, stage-by-stage routes, events and tips for your trip
Events • 23 results
Ideas • 224 results
Itineraries • 44 results
Flavors • 89 results
Travelogs • 29 results