Majestic San Miniato and the Pasta factory

SAN MINIATO: HISTORY, CULTURE & FOOD!
Join us for an unforgettable tour of San Miniato. Explore the historic town with a guided walk and enjoy a visit to a locale pasta maker followed by a delicious pasta lunch.

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A guided visit to the village
San Miniato is nestled on the top of the hill from where it dominates the surrounding valley, and it’s famous today as the most important town of truffles in Tuscany. But the town it’s also a cradle of beautiful medieval and renaissance art inherited thanks to its strategic central position in Tuscany along the Via Francigena, the most important artery of pilgrimages across Italy during the Middle Ages.
Discover the beauty of this lovely town and its importance over the centuries. The town is related even with the emperor Napoleone Bonaparte. A beautiful town with many charming squares and with an important historical meaning as the headquarter in Tuscany for the emperor Frederick II during the 13th Century.
You will visit the cathedral, the city center protected by walls, its majestic and decorated churches as well as the hilltop fortress, from which you can enjoy the stunning view of the whole Valdarno.

The visit to the local pasta factory
The day goes on visiting a historic pasta factory located just 15 minutes from San Miniato. Founded in 1860 as a family-run business, the company is now proudly managed by the fifth generation. Over the years, it has grown into a renowned producer of premium Italian pasta, crafted from the finest durum wheat, whole wheat, and wheat germ. The factory also produces special pasta infused with various flavors and in many different shapes.
Before lunch, you will have the opportunity to tour the pasta factory and visit the company’s pasta museum. Here, you can explore the history of how dry pasta was traditionally made in the past

Pasta based lunch
Afterward, enjoy a lunch featuring a tasting of two types of pasta produced at the factory, along with typical and traditional sauces, one glass of local wine and dessert included.

Join us for an unforgettable experience!

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This is a list of specialties that you are likely to sample as part of the program of this tour. Please, note that the specialties of the tasting session and/or lunch may vary according to the season and the availability of the products in the day of the tour.

Tagliatelle all’uovo

Tagliatelle all’uovo

Fresh egg-based tagliatelle are typically hand made during our cooking classes as one of the main dishes. They are made of simple durum wheat flour and fresh eggs, with a little pinch of salt. The most important component is the love of our chef’s hands…

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Maccheroni

Maccheroni

A plate of maccheroni made in Tuscany with a delicate sauce of cauliflowers and tomatoes. Maccheroni are one of the most popular kind of pasta that the Italians eat with seasonal sauces almost every day. The most delicious version is Maccheroni di Toscana by Pastificio Martelli.

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Cantuccini

Cantuccini

Cantuccini biscuits in Tuscany are one of the most common desserts. They are made of sugar, butter and eggs and they are refined with almonds. In some versions they have other dry nuts or chocolate. Outside of Italy they are also called “biscotti”.

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Tuscan red wine

Tuscan red wine

The Tuscan soil provides a wide variety of red wines, from easy-to-drink young table wines to full-body and robust riservas. Tuscan red wines are often based on Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo or Colorino grapes and sometimes on international grapes like Merlot, Cabernet or Syrah. The most curious experiements are recently involving Alicante and Tempranillo!

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Tuscan white wine

Tuscan white wine

Tuscan white wines are often based on a typical grape called Vermentino, which provides strong minerality and freshness to the wines made with it. The area of San Gimignano provides the one and only white wine DOCG in Tuscany: Vernaccia. Other very common grapes for white wines in Tuscany are Trebbiano and Malvasia.

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In our tour we like showing you places off the beaten track and introducing you to Tuscan people with their personal stories, careers and characters.
You will have one of our guides with your party during the whole tour. Please, see below all the guides who can be with you.
During this experience you can also meet some of the Tuscan friends involved in the events. Please, see below which friends you are likely to encounter.

Moira

guide

Moira

Pisa city tour guide & and tour leader at Arianna & Friends'

Ciao a tutti! My name is Moira and I'm the "foreigner" here at Arianna & Friends! In fact I come from the north west of Italy, from the town of Turin, and I moved to Tuscany in 2012, falling immediately in love with the culture, the arts and foods and of course - my favourite! - wines of this beautiful region. I started working at Arianna & Friends' back in 2013 as an assistant at the Tourist Information Office of a small hilltop village, where our office was initially located; then I got my licence as tour guide and I am today the city tour guide in the team for the main towns of Pisa, Volterra, San Miniato, but also for all our less famous tiny villages, which hide lots of secrets and such a loooong history! Last year, together with my colleague Luca, we got a licence as official truffle hunters, but I'm still mainly a truffle eater! When I'm not walking around in our amazing places talking about arts, culture and history, or discovering together with our guests the local specialties, you find me in the office, taking care of bookings and reservations. I really hope to meet you soon to show you around our beautiful land, and as I come from another region, I can also reveal some of the secrets that Tuscan people will never confess!!

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