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Airy, brittle Sienese “bones of the dead” biscuits.

A must-see in this Medici palace of 1444 are the chapel’s 360-degree frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli.

Medieval forerunner to Siena’s panforte , a dense spice cake sweetened with fruits and honey.

The world’s only decent fruitcake, a dense chewy nougat studded with fruits, nuts and spices.

A summertime salad of stale bread soaked in water and vinegar and topped with diced tomatoes, onions, basil and olive oil.

Pappardelle are Tuscany’s extremely wide noodles, yellow ribbons of pasta usually folded around a sauce made from cinghiale (wild boar) stewed so long it falls apart. Wild boar is freshest in autumn, during the hunting season, and is also often prepared as a main course, stewed in red wine.

“Strada degli Olivi” beelines for the beach. Trail 1 (7.2 km) clambers around San Rabano abbey’s ruins. Trail 2 (6 km) passes medieval towers to the rocky south shores. Trail 3 (9.6 km) meanders amid prehistoric caves. Trail 4 (12 km) wanders everywhere. Trails 3 and 4 are occasionally closed (Jun– Sep).

Italy’s finest, tastiest sheep’s milk cheese was perfected by the shepherds of Pienza. It comes in various states, from soft (non-stagionato and marzolino ) to harder and sharper (semi-stagionato and the full stagionato ). It is sometimes preserved under ash, or wrapped in grape leaves, or dusted with pepperoncino . The harder types are good with red wine or grated over pasta.

Sweeping, postcard-ready panoramas of Florence.

Fat, chewy, misshapen home-made spaghetti – appicicare means to roll between the hands – made from only flour and water, served mainly in the hill towns south of Siena, usually in a tomato sauce.