Masters of Botanicals and Tabacco - 2 Half-Day Courses

Morning Session
The Botanical Valley: Monastic Gardens, Medicinal Plants, and Rural Knowledge
Introduction to the Valtiberina’s agricultural ecology and its role as a crossroads between Umbrian and Tuscan traditions.The botanical legacy of Sansepolcro’s religious communities: herbariums, apothecary practices, and the transmission of plant knowledge from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.
Survey of key historical crops: Isatis tinctoria (woad), saffron, wild herbs, and medicinal species used in local pharmacopoeias. Field walk or garden visit focusing on identification, uses, and historical cultivation methods. Participants examine dried specimens, historic botanical illustrations, and simple preparation techniques used in monastic and rural contexts.

Tuscan Masters Lunch A seasonal lunch featuring ingredients tied to the valley’s agricultural history — aromatic herbs, traditional grains, and regional produce. The meal is accompanied by a short talk on how botanical cultivation shaped local foodways.

Afternoon Session
Tobacco in the Valtiberina: Economy, Craft, and Cultural Memory
The arrival of tobacco in Tuscany and its rapid integration into the valley’s farming systems.
How Sansepolcro and nearby towns became centers for high‑quality leaf production, including the distinctive curing and drying techniques still visible in historic farm structures. Social history: women’s labour in tobacco sorting, rural cooperatives, and the economic transformation of the 19th and 20th centuries. Examination of archival photographs, tools, and processing methods. Visit to a former tobacco drying barn or agricultural site to understand architectural adaptations and seasonal workflows.