Slow Food Toscana and Vetrina Toscana: Sixteen events dedicated to local regions, Tuscany’s participation in Terra Madre’s national and international events, the cuisine of the Alliance Chefs, and a tribute to Daniele Fagiolini
From September 24 to 27, Tuscany returns to Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2026, the international event dedicated to good, clean, and fair food and food policies, which this year takes place in the center of Turin.
The region’s booth, in Piazza C.L.N., is supported by Toscana Promozione Turistica and organized by Slow Food Toscana. This edition, which celebrates the 40th anniversary of Slow Food Italy, has biodiversity as its central theme, encapsulated in the slogan “Biodiversity – Be Diversity”: natural, agricultural, gastronomic, cultural, and social.
The Tuscan booth interprets this theme by combining tourism promotion of the region with the protection of agri-food biodiversity, community work, and producers.
Sixteen events and a vibrant culinary experience, curated by the Alliance Chefs: “Desinare”—the Tuscan term for lunch—for those who want to linger at the table, “almost-dinner” appetizers, and a Food Truck scattered among the Terra Madre booths, featuring recipes such as Lucca-style tordello, pici all’aglione, scottiglia di pecora, necci with ricotta, peposo, and beans.
Friday, the 25th, “Desinare” will be dedicated to chef Daniele Fagiolini, who recently passed away: a menu prepared by Silvia Volpe together with the Chefs of the Tuscan Alliance, ranging from fegatello with polenta and mushroom cream to cantuccini with Vin Santo.
Saturday evening will feature the “Food and Health” project with the ARTOI Foundation, followed on Sunday by the closing “Terra Madre Pasta Party.” The region’s presence also extends to the Salone’s national and international events: “Toscana 360,” dedicated to the Alliance of Tuscan Chefs; the international panel on the role of legumes in sustainable food systems; and meetings of the Slow Beans network regarding its future.
Slow Food Tuscany showcases the region through these events, organized in collaboration with the local chapters, local communities, and businesses: from the Monte Amiata IGP chestnuts to the mountain pastures of Alta Versilia and the Apuan Alps, from the centuries-old olive trees of the Maremma to the Piana del Cibo in Lucca, from the wrinkled chickpeas of the Maremma to the white truffles of the San Miniato Hills, from mountain sheep farming to food education projects.
Over the weekend, the program will explore the future of extensive sheep farming, the relationship between agriculture, hospitality, and biodiversity, communities in inland areas, and the fight against food waste in school cafeterias.
Vetrina Toscana, accompanies this initiative with five events that span the entire program, covering topics such as restored biodiversity, opportunities for young people, social inclusion, and emergency response. It begins with “The Vernina Onion of Signa,” a vegetable variety reintroduced to the fields, and “The Beauty and Goodness of the Mountains,” dedicated to chestnut cultivation on Mount Amiata as an opportunity for young people to return to the land, featuring the “Marron Glacé with Mount Amiata IGP Chestnuts—Marrone Variety” from Castagna Leopoldina.
Next is “The Right Taste,” three stories of inclusion and biodiversity featuring organizations such as: the Olivone in Montebenichi, which works with children undergoing treatment at the Meyer Children’s Hospital; the “Borgo del Cuore” in Castagneto Carducci; and the Conserveria in Castiglion Fiorentino, all committed to the integration of vulnerable individuals into the workforce. “Community Restaurants and the Maccalè Tavern” explains how a gastronomic hub sustains the life of a village, while “Solidarity Cuisine” concludes the series with the Emergency Solidarity Department of the Italian Federation of Chefs, dedicated to providing meals in crisis situations.
A unified program agreement in which the promotion of tourism in a region goes hand in hand with the care of its ecosystems, its local products, and the people who preserve them. Four days during which Tuscany will not merely be something to taste, but a story to listen to, experience, and share.
