Fiera del Cacio — Pienza Cheese Festival
Every first Sunday of September, Pienza's main street transforms into a raucous medieval competition where teams in historical costume roll wheels of Pecorino di Pienza along a course chalked on the stones. It is equal parts sport, spectacle and an excellent excuse to eat a great deal of sheep's-milk cheese.
The Ruzzola di Cacio Competition
Four teams representing Pienza's historic quarters compete to roll a wheel of aged Pecorino the furthest distance using a leather strap — a game documented here since the Renaissance. The atmosphere is intensely local, with grandmothers cheering from folding chairs and children darting between the crowds.
The corso is lined with stalls where producers from the Val d'Orcia sell their Pecorino at every stage of ageing: fresco (20 days), semi-stagionato (around 90 days) and stagionato (over 180 days), each with a dramatically different character.
Beyond the Competition: Tastings and Producers
Even outside festival weekend, the streets around Via del Leone and Via della Rosa are dotted with small caseifici (dairy shops) where you can taste before you buy. Look for wheels rubbed in tomato paste, ash, or walnut leaves — each coating imparts a distinct rind flavour.
Pair a wedge of stagionato with a glass of Rosso di Montalcino from a nearby enoteca and you have assembled one of the great simple pleasures of the Tuscan table.
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