What is an internal combustion engine doing in a restaurant dining room?

And what did Felice Matteucci and Pellegrino Artusi have in common?

Emergency abandoned olive trees: an appeal for our landscape

The Municipality of Lucca launches an urgent appeal for the protection of our landscape and
our olive-growing tradition: the ‘Save the Olive Trees’ project. This initiative aims to combat the abandonment of olive groves in our territory, a phenomenon that threatens our agricultural and environmental identity.

The countryside goes to the city.

In September, in particular, in the month that closes the summer, food fairs are a tradition, born of the need to stock up for the winter and today of delicacies to eat in front of the fireplace.

In Lucca, the Mostra dell'Agricoltura e del Territorio (Agriculture and Territory Fair) is traditionally hosted in the loggia of Palazzo Pretorio, overlooking Piazza San Michele, the historical site of the city markets.

Directly from the Tuscan Specialities Showcase, and from the De.C.O. register of the Municipality of Lucca, here is the Aquilea soup in the traditional summer festival on August.

On the hills of Lucca, among the vineyards and plains of the village of Aquilea, the tradition of the Aquilea soup festival is repeated. Soup (only vegetables from local farms in the Moriano area), grilled meats, olive oil and wine from the Aquilea farms, and cakes with creamy vegetable pecks and chocolate are the classic menu of the manifstazone.

A weekend of celebrations dedicated to extra virgin olive oil: discoveries, informative conferences, exclusive tours, exhibitions and tastings of extra virgin olive oil, gourmet dinners, live music and stimulating networking events.

An international festival in Lucca, Tuscany, entirely dedicated to artisan extra virgin olive oil of excellence.

Not all traditional products originate in smoky kitchens or exclusive laboratories.

Massagli cinchona was created in a pharmacy. To be precise, in the Massagli pharmacy in Piazza San Michele, right in the heart of Lucca, surrounded by cobblestones and historic architecture.

With her lively eyes and ready smile, Elena is the cook at the AA ‘Alle Camelie’ in Pieve di Compito, at the foot of Monte Pisano, on the edge of the woods. This is the area where camellias grow in gardens, nurseries, along the Visona, the stream that runs through the villages of Compitese, and in the camellia garden of Sant'Andrea. Right now, the Sasanqua variety of camellias, our “Christmas stars”, are in bloom.

It's Carnival time again.
Once upon a time, before Lent began, it was customary to indulge in sweets and treats of all kinds, and it still is.

Sandra Bianchi has a face as sweet as the delicacies she has been offering every day since 1997 in her pastry shop in Borgo Giannotti, and an innovative and contemporary vision in the world of sweets, where she always introduces new proposals with singular peculiarities, but to be shared with everyone, otherwise, what's the taste?