Fontegiusta Academy by Pino Chiarelli

Cooking as an act of love

There is a place on Via Camollia, in the vibrant heart of Siena, where the aroma of flour, sautéed vegetables, and good wine mingles with the laughter and voices of people who didn’t know each other an hour before. It is the Fontegiusta Academy, the cooking school founded in 2016 by Pino Chiarelli, a man who has transformed his passion for food into a way to meet people, tell the story of the city, and keep traditions alive.

Pino's philosophy can be summed up in three simple and powerful words: cook, meet, share. Because for him, cooking is never just technique. It is a universal language, capable of breaking down barriers, creating bonds, and transforming a stranger into a guest, and a guest into a friend.

Hands in the dough, open heart

How the courses work

The lessons at the Fontegiusta Academy are unlike any cooking school you have attended. Forget about top-down demonstrations, starched aprons, and recipe books to follow to the letter. Here, you enter, introduce yourself, and within a few minutes, you are already hands-on — literally.

The courses are led by professional chefs who guide participants step by step, sharing recipes, local ingredients, and Sienese culinary traditions with the naturalness of those who have heard these stories since childhood. The atmosphere is informal, fun, and profoundly human.

The flavors of Tuscan tradition

The menu at the Fontegiusta Academy is a journey into the most authentic Tuscan cuisine: hand-pulled pici, the ribollita that warms the soul, the peposo that smells of pepper and red wine, the cantucci to dip in Vin Santo. All prepared with fresh and local ingredients, all told with the passion of those who know that a recipe is always much more than a list of ingredients.

The school offers both amateur lessons, perfect for tourists and enthusiasts, and professional courses for those who wish to deepen culinary techniques and skills seriously.

The best moment: the tasting

Each course concludes with the most awaited moment: the tasting of the dishes prepared together. The table is set, the glasses are filled, and what was a group of strangers suddenly becomes a table of friends. It is at that moment that one truly understands what the word conviviality means, and why Pino has chosen to make it the reason for his work.

The Trattoria Fonte Giusta

The Fontegiusta Academy is closely linked to the Trattoria Fonte Giusta, opened in 2006: a place where the exposed bricks, the family atmosphere, and typical Tuscan dishes tell the same story as the school. For those who want to extend the experience, or simply eat well without cooking, the trattoria is the natural continuation of the journey through the flavors of Siena.

Pino Chiarelli, the heart of the project

Behind every great school, there is a great person. Pino Chiarelli is welcoming, passionate, and an inexhaustible storyteller of anecdotes and curiosities about Sienese cuisine and the city he loves. With him, every course becomes something more than a lesson: it becomes a memory, a story to tell, a piece of Siena to take home.

Come cook with us

Siena can be visited in a thousand ways. But there is one way that few forget: the one that goes through a kitchen, an apron, and hands dirty with flour.

Book your course at the Fontegiusta Academy and discover the true gastronomic soul of Siena. Choose the date, choose the menu, bring only the desire to learn and to feel good, Pino will take care of the rest.

Where we are: Via Camollia, historic center of Siena 🍝 What awaits you: authentic Tuscan cuisine, professional chefs, final tasting, and many smiles 📩 Book now and take home something that no souvenir can give you: a recipe, a flavor, a moment of true Sienese conviviality.