Florence's Royal Countryside™

Join Anna Maria in her family’s villa property for an authentic cooking experience blending Tuscan and Emilia-Romagna traditions in the countryside of Florence.  Check-in to our luxury five-star property set in the luscious green countryside of Florence with hands-on cooking classes and local wines from Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. Our weeklong program offers Marradi’s local traditional flavors along with excursions to local artisans and the stunning Mosaic city of Ravenna.

Both Tuscany and Emilia Romagna have strong culinary traditions and this cooking program offers a unique opportunity to experience both. Tuscany’s cuisine is traditional based on the four seasons along with using farm-to-table fresh vegetables, grass fed meat and game.  Learn how to prepare pappa al pomodoro, fresh pasta with sun ripe tomatoes, and handmade pici pasta, Tuscan pasta served with a slow-braised sauce and Bistecca alla fiorentina,  a special cut of steak from the Chianina cattle — an ancient Tuscan breed known for its precious meat and delicate taste grilled over red-hot coals and served rare.  Desserts follow with classics such as biscotti di prato, a twice-baked biscuit made with almonds nuts – always dipped in Vin Santo, blessed wine.  You will also learn how to prepare schiacciata alla Fiorentina, a sweet flat dough garnished with grape pulp.  There’s bomboloni, Tuscan doughnuts made with a light dough and sugar, and torta di mele, Tuscan apple cake made with apples grown on the property.

Emilia Romagna, on the other hand, provides Italy Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, aged balsamic vinegar, Parma ham and handmade pasta.  Emilia Romagna pasta makers are Sfogline!  Sfogline is the Bolognese term for women who make pasta by hand in the traditional way with an old-fashioned rolling pin and wooden tools.  The old-world art of making local pasta starts with farm-fresh local eggs and ‘OO Farina,’ finely ground white flour.  Learn their technique of kneading the dough, then rolling it out into sfoglie, thin sheets, with a wooden rolling pin. Our chef will have you prepare, tortellini, tortelloni, and tagliatelle served in seasonal sauces.  Under their guidance, learn the technique for mixing, kneading, and rolling out perfect tortellini, tortelloni, tagliatelle, and Bolognese lasagne.

Cooking Classes

Anna Maria leads you in hands-on cooking classes from antipasto to dessert, and shares her family recipes with you. Her philosophy is to use farm-to-table ingredients of the season. Tie on your apron and learn how to prepare delicious Florentine crostini garnished with fresh grilled vegetables and served with a glass of Lambrusco.  Learn how to mix and knead organic flour and eggs, then roll the dough out into handmade pasta.  Each pasta is garnished with sauces including ingredients from the season – squash, Porcini mushrooms, pumpkin and truffles.  Main courses remain traditional with classics such as farmers chicken, veal and mushrooms or Bistecca alla fiorentina,  a special cut of steak from the Chianina cattle — an ancient Tuscan breed known for its precious meat and delicate taste grilled over red-hot coals and served rare.  A true Tuscan bbq includes cinghiale, wild boar, piccione, pigeon, and anatra, duck; fagioli con salsiccia, borlotti beans cooked with crumbled sausage meat, onions, garlic, crushed tomatoes, and chili.  Also on the menu is polo toscano, wild chicken served with olives cured in brine and marinated with grated orange zest, fennel and garlic.  Dessert making includes cantucci, twice-baked biscuits made with almonds, la torta della nonna, a classic Tuscan cake and castagnaccio, chestnut cake.  Vin Santo, holy dessert wine, is always served with dessert.

The property’s location, set in the countryside of Marradi in Tuscany – just outside of Emilia-Romagna, allows you to learn and enjoy the flavors of both regions – Tuscan and Emilia-Romagna.  Learn how to prepare full course menus, antipasto, fresh pasta with sauces, main courses and desserts, during your stay.  In the autumn, there is even a special chestnut menu.  Chef Anna Maria also shares her baking and pastry techniques in making delicious desserts.

Chef Anna Maria uses high quality local ingredients of the season, and will accommodate any special menus and food allergies.  Vegetarian cooking class menus available, too.

Marradi Regional Cuisine

• Marradi bread, biscotti, castagnaccio, chestnut tart, schiacciata con l’uva, Tuscan cake with grapes.
• Hand-made pasta like chestnut and potatoes ravioli, and fried chestnut tortellini. 
• Cappelletti with broth, filet of Camino and Mediterranean-style lamb.
• Tuscan beef with white and black truffles.
• Piadina fritta and pizza.
• Calzone stuffed with ricotta and spinach.
• Pistachio gelato or chestnut, rice puddings, torte della nonna and home-made marmalade pie.
• Apple and chestnut strudel, polenta cake and chestnut tart.
• Lemon granita and chestnut and fruit jams.

Marradi

Marradi is a riverside village tucked in the Lamone valley near Faenza in Tuscany.  Marradi is the home of poets, painters and musicians internationally renowned, such as the Italian poet Dino Campana.  It’s an inspiring destination, where the luxuriant nature sets the timetable of the town life. Relax, tranquillity and a soul and pure environment welcome travellers offering unique experiences.This rural village nests quietly below cirrus-dusted mountains and has a landscape that has inspired artists and poets for centuries. Perfect for a hidden relaxing holiday yet within a short distance of the cities of Florence, Bologna, the seaside of Rimini and the incredible art of Ravenna.

Do not miss the small Animosi Theatre, one of the smallest in Italy, the masterpieces of Maestro di Marradi in the Saint Lawrence’s Church, the Study Centre for Dino Campana and the Chestnuts Studies and Documentation Centre.

Excursions take you to Ravenna with its incredible Byzantine churches and towns of Faenza, famous for ceramics, Pomposa with its frescoed Benedictine Abbey, Comacchio, a Venice-like lagoon town split by a network of canals and 17 bridges, Cervia, a seaside resort famous for its salt production, and Ferrara, with its Renaissance Estense castle.

Tuscany Accommodations

Anna Maria’s family has lived in this historic mansion near Faenza for over five hundred centuries. Recently restored and converted to a private B&B residence, it is made up of four suites: a double suite, a deluxe double and two luxury suites, all furnished with elegant period furniture.  Each suite includes:  TV, ensuite private bathrooms and hair dryers. The luxury suites offer a separate living area with fireplaces, full kitchen and air conditioning.  The property is a short 500 metere walk from the train station.

A beautiful buffet breakfast is served each morning and includes fresh cheese, yogurt, homemade jams, salumi, ham and home-made biscotti, cakes and bread with caffè, tea and fruit juice.

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Program is 6 days, 5 nights

This cooking program is available 12 months per year. You can check in and start your program on any day of the week.

Day One: Arrival and Welcome

• Arrival and check in to the Palazzo.
• Meet your host, Anna Maria and her family. Enjoy your Cooking Vacations’ Welcome Bag with Prosecco.
• Welcome Dinner featuring a full course Chef’s Tasting Menu featuring local fare – antipasto, pasta and sauce, main course and dessert.

Day Two: Cooking Class 1

• Breakfast is served.
• After breakfast you will visit the village of Marradi, famed for its historical and artistic traditions in the countryside of Florence, which extends along the picturesque, verdant Lamone Valley. Visit the historical landmarks which inspired Dino Campana, Marradi’s great poet.
• Take time for lunch on your own. Suggestions provided.
• In the afternoon, tie on your aprons for your first hands-on cooking class using farm-to-table ingredients and traditional recipes. Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the class with local wine included.

Day Three: Food Lover’s Tour with Tastings and Cooking Class 2

• Breakfast is served.
• After breakfast spend the morning on your Food Lovers’ Tour with tastings along the way.  Visit Brisighella, a nearby medieval town known for its high quality Brisighello, olive oil with local wine with driver and English-speaking guide.
• The Food Lovers’ Tour continue to an artisan cheese maker, a wine maker’s cellar and olive oil producer with tastings included.
• Lunch is on your own with suggestions provided.
Later in the afternoon, tie on your aprons for your second hands-on cooking class using farm-to-table ingredients and traditional recipes. Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the class with local wine included.

Day Four: Visit Ravenna ~ The Mosaic City

• Breakfast is served.
• Following breakfast, you will visit Ravenna.  Ravenna is the city’s Renaissance art.  Visit the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Orthodox Baptistery, the Gothic Basilica of S. Apollinare Nuovo, the two splendid Byzantine churches of S. Vitale and S. Apollinare in Classe and the tomb of Italy’s most distinguished poet, Dante Alighieri with driver and English-speaking guide.
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• Visit Ravenna and Faenza, famous for its ceramics, and the International Ceramics museum with one of the largest ceramic collections in Italy.  The tour showcases the history of Italian artisan ceramics.
• Following the tour, return to Marradi in the afternoon.
• Dinner on your own with suggestions provided.

Day Five: Cooking Class 3

• Breakfast is served.
• Following breakfast, the morning is free with time to relax at the property, walk throughout the lush gardens, sprawling vineyards and silvery-green olive trees.
• Take time for lunch on your own with suggestions provided.
Later in the afternoon, tie on your aprons for your third hands-on cooking class using farm-to-table ingredients and traditional recipes. Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the food that was prepared in the class with local wine included. Following dinner, enjoy live music with Chef Anna Maria and her family.

Day Six: Departure & Arrivederci!

• Breakfast is served.
• Departure. Ciao e a presto!