Il Crastatone – Chestnut Festival

Il Crastatone, the autumnal soul of Mount Amiata

When the chestnuts ripen and the forests of Mount Amiata turn to autumn hues, the municipality of Piancastagnaio, in the province of Siena, brings Il Crastatone to life—the oldest and most famous festival dedicated to the chestnut in the entire Amiata mountain region. Founded in 1967, the event is traditionally held during the week of All Saints' Day, around November 1st, transforming the historic center of the village into a grand village of taste and tradition.

The four districts take center stage

The beating heart of the festival is the town's four districts—Borgo, Castello, Coro, and Voltaia—the same ones that compete in the famous Palio every August 18th. During Il Crastatone, the districts open their cellars and set up food stalls along the alleys of the medieval village, enclosed within the walls and dominated by the evocative Rocca Aldobrandesca. It is a competition of hospitality where each district offers its own specialties and family recipes passed down through generations.

The flavors of the Amiata chestnut

The name of the festival itself comes from crastata, the local dialect word for roasted chestnut. Among the stalls, you can taste typical Amiata cuisine dishes based on chestnuts:

• Crastate (roasted chestnuts) cooked over an open fire;
• Castagnaccio, the classic chestnut flour cake;
• Suggioli, boiled chestnuts;
• Monne brodolose, an ancient peasant chestnut soup;
• Pulenna doicce and other traditional Amiata recipes.

Everything is washed down with excellent new wine and local red wine, while the new olive oil from local mills completes this celebration of autumn flavors.

Music, culture, and tradition

For three days, the village comes alive with street performances, concerts, folk songs, traditional dances, craft and art exhibitions, as well as conferences and debates held in the Rocca Aldobrandesca and the Town Hall. In recent years, the festival has also hosted show-cooking events and initiatives related to Amiata food culture, in collaboration with local organizations.

A defining event for Tuscany

More than just a food festival, Il Crastatone is a defining event that tells the story of the deep bond between Piancastagnaio, its centuries-old chestnut groves, and the peasant civilization of Mount Amiata. Visiting the village during these days means immersing yourself in an authentic atmosphere, filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts, new wine, and the warm hospitality of the districts, in one of the most evocative corners of southern Tuscany.