Easter in Tuscany: some ideas for your trip

Lovers of art and knowledge who visit Tuscany during the Easter season will find a plethora of opportunities to weave together an itinerary of great exhibitions, museums and tours suitable for the whole family. 
In Florence, Palazzo Strozzi regularly hosts major exhibitions devoted to some of the most important protagonists of art, flanking masters of the past alongside artists of our times such as Beato Angelico, Koons, Abramović and Rothko. 
Besides great exhibitions, there are also many museums for engaging children and teens with art, science, history and nature. There’s the Leonardo Museum in Vinci, the Historical Ships Museum in Pisa, the Natural History Museum of the Accademia dei Fisiocritici in Siena and the San Silvestro Archaeological Mines Park—just some of the places where each visit is transformed into an experience of discovery, play and shared wonder.

At Easter, Tuscany is fully in bloom, an ideal time to visit historic parks and gardens. 
From the great Florentine classics such as the Boboli Gardens and the Bardini Gardens to the Medici parks and monumental gardens peppered throughout the land, spring brings colors, scents and particularly striking views. 
There are those who choose the geometric elegance of Italian gardens, those who prefer to stroll among rose gardens, lemon groves and wisteria in bloom, and those who love expansive historic parks where art and nature intertwine.
From Florence to Lucchesia, from the hills of Fiesole to the Val d’Orcia, visiting a garden at this time of year means indulging in a slow and beautiful pause among carefully designed landscapes, seasonal blooms and memorable views.
Spring is also a perfect season to set off on a walk. Traverse historical and spiritual itineraries that invite you to discover the landscape slowly among nature and visit villages and cities of art that offer a different way to experience Easter vacations amid beauty, silence and contemplation.

Easter is also about customs and celebration with deep roots in history.
Among the most evocative events is the Explosion of the Cart in Florence. On Easter morning, at the end of a historical procession, the large 18ᵗʰ-century cart pulls up in front of the Duomo (Cathedral) to be lit up by a “colombina” (a rocket in the shape of a dove), giving rise to one of the most spectacular rituals of Florentine tradition. 
In Prato, rather, the Sacra Cintola della Madonna, one of the city’s most precious and beloved relics, is on public display. 
For Good Friday, the Re-enactment of the Passion of Christ is staged in Grassina, with a heartfelt tradition involving hundreds of costumed paraders.
Alongside these better-known events, Easter also brings with it other celebrations that are deeply tied to the territories: the Processione delle Paniere in Santa Maria a Monte, the Processione Buia in Radicofani and the Blessing of the Sea in Porto Santo Stefano, to name a few. 
Occasions different from each other but united by the same bond between community, symbols and traditions passed down over the centuries.

Easter is the perfect time to hit the road along the Strade del Vino, dell’Olio e dei Sapori della Toscana (Wine, Oil and Flavor Routes of Tuscany), among wineries, farms and landscapes that reveal the most authentic soul of the territory. 
Here, in fact, art and land have always been intertwined. The hills, mountains and villages guard a rich and vital agricultural tradition of excellent products, hospitality and knowledge passed down through the ages. 
Following these itineraries means discovering lesser-known places, where the journey also passes by the table, the scents of the countryside and the fruits of the season. 
This spring break can even be the ideal opportunity to savor the typical sweets of the Easter tradition. Indeed, each area of Tuscany bears a rich tradition of local recipes and specialties, to be enjoyed in a pasticceria or in the many local trattorias.

For those who want a rejuvenating break, Tuscany has long safeguarded a heritage of thermal springs of extraordinary richness, comprised of historic establishments and natural springs nestled in the landscape. A land of beneficial waters known since antiquity and frequented over the centuries by illustrious travelers, writers and rulers, the region offers places where wellness meets the beauty of nature. Alongside the famous spas, Tuscany even preserves numerous free outdoor hot springs wet with waterfalls, pools and streams of hot water, where relaxation is intertwined with nature amidst steams, rocks and fascinating scenery.