Arezzo Antique Fair and the Joy of Being Here

May 1, 2026

Dear Friends of Bramasole Olive Oil,

Happy Primo Maggio, a national holiday here in Italia, where the classic duo of fava beans and pecorino are on the menus and everyone hopes the corner has really turned on winter, with summer not far off. 

Frances and I spent the day in beautiful ancient Arezzo (20 miles north of us), the capital of our province, for the Antique Fair (Fiera Antiquaria), which happens every first Sunday of the month and the preceding Saturday. It’s the largest open-air antique market in Italy. This was a three-day affair (May 1 is also International Workers’ Day), and we think we visited every one of the 500 exhibitors from all over Italy, and came away with a few fine treasures. (And I confess we’ve been to this fair well over 100 times over the years! Steven Rothfeld’s beautiful photos of Bramasole in Bringing Tuscany Home, The Tuscan Sun Cookbook, and Pasta Veloce attest to this.)