The local Alpini organised a chestnut festival in the grounds of the Villa Fiori on Sunday. The Alpini are elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian army. They were founded on 15th October 1872 and are the oldest active mountain infantry in the world.
They are known by their distinctive grey hat with a black raven feather, or white goose feather for an officer. Alpini of all ages were in the park cooking chestnuts and chestnut pancakes. It was a beautiful autumn day.
setting up for the day
the Alpini get to work
Chestnuts were roasted in the background while the Alpini made the neci, the chestnut pancakes.
portable chestnut roaster
loaded and ready to go
the roaster and his advisor
oiling the pan
the chestnut flour batter is poured onto the hot pan
another is placed on top
a very handy spanner presses to 2 pans together
the finished neci
the happy cook
There was also pasta fritta, which is deep fried pasta dough.
the prepared dough
the finished product
roasted chestnuts
it was not an expensive menu
We ordered neci with nutella, pasta fritta and some chestnuts and retired to the shade of a tree to enjoy our feast.
neci with nutella
As well as the chestnut delights there were other stalls selling all kinds of interesting things, painting and activities for children and lots of funn things to do.
painting for children
any excuse to bask in the sun
One of the reasons I love to be in the village is these fun days organised by the locals.
Click here to see the wonderful chestnut festival in Lupinaia, a gorgeous mountain village nearby.
We loved the farro food festival in Petrognola too – a great Italian community event.
By: Richard Tulloch on October 17, 2011
at 5:23 am
The local festivals are a lot of fun. Chestnuts are an acquired taste. The pancake was greatly improved by the addition of nutella.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 7:20 am
I’d love to be able to smell this post. It looks lovely.
By: Liz Golding on October 17, 2011
at 5:50 am
Chestnuts smell delicious when they are roasting. It is the taste that let’s them down.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 7:21 am
Looks Fantastic , Deb bring me back a chestnut pancake please !!
By: Russell on October 17, 2011
at 5:58 am
It might be a bit leathery by the time it arrived in Brisbane.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 7:21 am
I wish I was there…..
By: Mulino Dominillo on October 17, 2011
at 6:30 am
I hope you come for a quick visit in November.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 7:22 am
What fun- it would be great to be part of a local festival, knowing everyone and knowing that you are supporting your community
By: jenny@atasteoftravel on October 17, 2011
at 6:57 am
Everybody was out enjoying a day in the sunshine.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 7:22 am
This is so not fair, first the porcini now the chestnuts…… you are a lucky being to have such bounty and food joy on your doorstep. Chestnuts are my all time favourite autumnal treat – loved the pictures, feeling the chestnuts warm my cold palms, eaten with a smidge of butter and dipped into salt or roasted with sprouts and other veggies in the oven. I’m not so keen on the cakes and bread but as a proper nut – can’t beat them for loveliness 🙂
By: Joanna on October 17, 2011
at 8:13 am
I like the sound of a smidge of butter and dipped into salt. I will have to try this.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 8:18 am
Yum, I can’t wait for our chestnut festival in a few weeks. Great post, and love the mouth watering pics.
By: Jennifer Avventura on October 17, 2011
at 9:12 am
i’m sure it will be wonderful. I love these local festivals.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 9:39 pm
Very nice description of the event. Words are easy on you! Loved it!
Rose
By: Rosaly Palma Torvnes on October 17, 2011
at 9:12 am
it is a pity you weren’t there to join in.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 9:39 pm
So sorry I missed it-Hope to meet you this weekend-
Your pictures are always so wonderful-thank you! It was also nice to see some children!
By: Melonie Carideo on October 17, 2011
at 10:49 am
I hope we meet this trip.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 9:40 pm
The pancakes look so yummii, never tasted it with chestnut. and the pans are quite interesting.
By: Fragolina on October 17, 2011
at 12:01 pm
Chestnut flour is not that easy to come by in some places.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 9:41 pm
The food looks amazing, and I love the feathered hats. Great post, Deb.
Kathy
By: Kathryn McCullough on October 17, 2011
at 12:19 pm
I think the Alpini look wonderful in their hats.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 9:41 pm
A happy and handsome cook.
Looks like a nice day.
By: maru on October 17, 2011
at 1:01 pm
It was a fun day.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 9:42 pm
I keep hearing about these lovely European festivals. I wish we had some like that here 🙂
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on October 17, 2011
at 1:17 pm
Australia could do with some of these little festivals.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 9:42 pm
Lovely looking community and the neci’s look interesting – I’d love to try it.
By: sheof108names on October 17, 2011
at 1:29 pm
The pancakes themselves are fairly bland. Nutella helps.
By: bagnidilucca on October 17, 2011
at 9:42 pm
The equipment for chestnuts seemed so interesting, I haven’t seen something like that. We usually make them on barbecue (or something like barbecue)… How much I love chestnuts. I wished to have a day in here like yours. In Milan, I remember there was always a day like this one. Once there was an apple day, and so many apples from the farm villages were at the square in a baskets and being sold… I bought too. How smelling chestnusts…. Thank you, my son, he loves so much Nutella… should all of them so delicious. With my love, nia
By: niasunset on October 18, 2011
at 12:14 am
Nutella is excellent, but I don’t keep it in the house or I would eat it.
By: bagnidilucca on October 18, 2011
at 7:30 pm
How fun! I adore chestnuts, but can’t seem to roast them at home in any way that lets me peel them easily! I would have eaten from every stall at that festival!!
By: Celia @ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial on October 18, 2011
at 6:20 am
I think they are best roasted over a fire. The tumble thing had holes in it so there was a bit of contact with the flame. I did’t like them the first time I tried them, but I have come to like them.
By: bagnidilucca on October 18, 2011
at 6:59 am
Wow, love it. Thanks Deb. So informative and I love those local festivals……..enjoy and speak soon.
By: Moira Drexler on October 18, 2011
at 6:50 pm
Sharon who lives in Tuscany roasted some chestnuts one night over the fire in a special roasting pan and served them with stracchino cheese, so memorable and we were lucky to hit a chestnut festival in Umbria but did not see the great device you photographed. I have even made the chestnut flour pancake/flat bread but just not the same as buying one made for you right there on the spot.
By: Roz on October 19, 2011
at 2:15 am
I have had chestnuts roasted for me that way as well. The roasting device looked as though it was made from the drum of a washing machine. They are very inventive, these Italians.
By: bagnidilucca on October 19, 2011
at 5:50 am
I can’t believe I missed this. I arrived in Pisa on Saturday but stopped to visit the antique fair in Lucca. I didn’t buy anything so maybe I should have made my way to Ponte a Serraglio instead!
There’s always next year.
By: Jan on October 19, 2011
at 9:45 am
Chestnut pancakes with nutella?… I think my life will be a little less until I try that one.
By: cityhippyfarmgirl on October 20, 2011
at 3:32 am
You could make them at home with chestnut flour, but perhaps they would not be the same without the special pan.
By: bagnidilucca on October 20, 2011
at 4:12 am
[…] in front of the casino to Villa Fiori. If you are lucky there will be a local festival in full swing. the walking bridge across the Lima Villa Fiori across the bridge artists' day at Ponte a […]
By: My first guest blog « Bagni di Lucca and Beyond on January 19, 2012
at 5:05 am