Alessandro Sansoni - Photographer da Valleriana

     Recently, I had the pleasure to meet photographer Alessandro Sansoni.  I love many of the images I have seen of his on Facebook and want to encourage this man and his eye [and brain].  He says this is just a passionate hobby of his, but aren’t we lucky to have this talent in Valleriana to capture her beauty?

     Here is just a taste of his work and I hope to show you more in the future.

     Thank you for reading and for sharing this site!

Saluti da Toscana,

Kelly Borsheim

Images by Alessandro Sansoni:

Pontito under a full moon.

Above:  San Quirico, Valleriana, Tuscany, Italy

River Scene, Valleriana, Tuscany, Italy

Sorana in the Hills, Valleriana, Tuscany, Italy

San Quirico Sagra del Neccio

Sagra del Neccio - Festival of the Chestnut pancake San Quirico Valleriana Tuscany

posted from March due to constant raining [what an odd year we have had with the weather!]

New DATES:

Neccio is a pancake made from locally harvested chestnuts ground into flour.  They are cooked between either hot iron plates or hot stones. [And this requires an article all to itself.  Give me time.. this is a brand new site!]

     They are normally served with your choice of ricotta cheese or Nutella and are delicious.
The festival [sagra] starts at 2 p.m., but note there are two other optional things to do either of these two Sundays, coordinated with the festival, Sunday, 11 March and Sunday 18 March, 2018.

This is the 50th year!  Whoa.  In the main piazza of San Quirico,, you guessed it:  in Valleriana!

Roberto Dingacci of "Ristorante / Pizzaria Da Carla" cooks neccio in the traditional way between chestnut leaves and fire-hot stones.

Welcome to Valleriana!

Valleriana in Tuscany

Welcome to Plein Air Valleriana!

     Valleriana is the collective name of the ten castled-villages in the hills north of Pescia, in the district of Pistoia, in Tuscany, Italy.   Its older name is Svizzera Pesciatina, because a man named  Jean Charles Leonard Simonde de Sismondi saw a resemblance of these hills to his native Switzerland.

     We hope that you enjoy perusing this site to become acquainted with this section of paradise and that you will come visit our area soon!

     We welcome feedback, questions, submission of related photos, and stories of your visit to Valleriana.  Thank you!

The Ten Villages are:

• Pietrabuona
• Medicina
• Fibbialla
• Aramo
• San Quirico
• Castelvecchio
• Stiappa
• Pontito 
• Sorana
• Vellano