The town of Marradi in Tuscany is famous for its chestnuts, and was born out of Roman conflict when a fortress was built on the road that connected Faenza to Florence and Lucca.
The town now hosts a lovely Italian Christmas market on Sundays in December, where the stalls have plenty of decorations and gifts on offer.
The Alpini from Marradi will be on hand to make a polenta lunch at the cost of only two euros a portion.
Other traditional dishes are available to taste, along with generous servings of roasted chestnuts.
On Sunday December 21, the market can be reached on board a steam train from Florence.
Tickets cost 32 euros for adults and 19 euros for children (info at: Omega Viaggi, 055/291312, Sabrina Viaggi, 055/440311).
For a list of agriturismi and Tuscan B&B’s go to the Marradi site.