Events in Tuscany: Easter at Florence, Greve in Chianti and Chianciano Terme

During the Easter period, visitors at Florence are given an array of options. Along with the classic artistic and cultural attractions of the city, Easter at Florence is also a great occasion to attend many of the traditional and spectacular celebrations held. Each year on Easter morning, local Fiorentini gather at the Piazza del Duomo for the traditional Scoppio del Carro (explosion of the float); a large wooden float is led by white cows to the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, accompanied with 150 soldiers, musicians and flag flyers. The float is then exploded by a rocket shaped like a dove, known as the Colombina which is then lighted by the archbishop of Florence during the Easter mass. The popular celebration is also considered as a good wish for the entire city.

If, on the other hand, your prefer holidays on the Tuscan hillsides accompanied with good food and wine, then the ideal destination would be Greve in Chianti. The renowned destination is situated in the area of Chianti and offers diverse forms of accommodation, from hotels to agri-tourisms, and the possibility to take part in diverse activities, from wine-tasting at the various cantinas and excursions in the splendid nature of Chianti. Easter time also offers visitors the opportunity to attend the celebration of the Volo della Colombina (Flight of the Dove), a traditional ritual similar to that of the Scoppio del Carro in Florence.

Chianciano Terme is the ideal destination for spa lovers, renowned for the healing properties of its mineral waters, giving the opportunity to spend holidays combining wellness, sport and excursions around the surrounding hillsides and forests. At Easter, Chianciano holds an ancient ritual dating back to the 1600’s, the Giudeata: on Good Friday a procession is led throughout the streets of the historic quarter, dressed in costumes evoking the Passion of Christ, with Roman soldiers on horseback, the court of Herod, the priests of Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate.