The best Easter doves in Florence

Where to buy the best artisan doves in town

It is well known that Easter is an occasion to enjoy sweet delicacies. Among these, the colomba is one of the most popular. It can be classic (with candied fruit and almonds), or made with alternative ingredients that give a "breath of fresh air" to tradition. Today we have selected for you the best Florentine pastry shops where you can buy delicious handmade doves and make your Easter unforgettable... try it for yourself! Looking for the best in Tuscany? Click here!

Galleria Iginio Massari Firenze
Via de' Vecchietti, 3
ph. +39 055 8025253

Maestro Massari's traditional doves are a perfect balance of aromatic flavors and tastes, offering a lively and delicate citrus note given by sought-after cubes of orange peel guarded by a rich dough that is particularly soft thanks to the complex process that involves four leavings at controlled time and temperature and two kneads, for a total of 62 hours. An exquisite glaze made with almonds covers the top. Those who prefer more elaborate flavors can find the persimmon and chocolate colomba (with an innovative cocoa dough with a cream-based ganache cream, enriched with citrusy orange undertones and with milk and dark chocolate), the hazelnut colomba (with a Piedmont Hazelnut IGP glaze covering the top), the limited edition pistachio colomba, the one without candied fruit and the limited edition caramel and orange colomba, also in limited edition.

Colomba Al Pistacchio di Iginio Massari Alta Pasticceria

Caffè Gilli
Via Roma, 1/R
ph. +39 055 213896

Caffè Gilli stands for excellence in pastry. It is a historic place that is confirmed, year after year, as an icon of Italian style. That is why it is loved and appreciated all over the world. Absolutely not to be missed during this period is the Easter dove, prepared with fine ingredients and sourdough as per the traditional recipe. These are the highest quality doves, created by master pastry chefs in harmony between tradition and contemporaneity, packaged fresh and without preservatives. The slow and gradual leavening, which naturally comes to completion within thirty-six hours, guarantees a unique lightness and softness and conveys the passion that has always distinguished Caffè Gilli.

Colomba Caffè Gilli

Pasticceria Gualtieri
Via Senese, 18r
ph. +39 055 221771

The workshop of this pastry shop is like an alchemist's forge. Here they experiment, bake and create products full of love and commitment. In order to meet everyone's needs, an entirely vegan product line has been in existence since 2012, and a totally gluten-free workshop has been in operation since 2014. For Easter, both classic and gluten-free traditional doves were made. While their chocolate dove is totally gluten free. This is made with a chocolate ganache dissolved in the dough and with the final addition of top-quality chocolate drops. What makes the taste of these sweets absolutely inimitable is the addition of vanilla (100% natural vanilla bean) and orange paste (made from candied orange peel and then pureed). The dove with Vesuvius apricots is currently being tested. This is a new product, used for the first time this year to make panettone cakes. This type of apricot is really delicious and, when added to the dough before baking, produces a cream (very similar to jam)... a real treat for the palate! Not to be missed during the remaining days of the year is their Iris Cake: a sort of very soft plumcake with semi-candied fruit and ground almonds (18 times) inside. The icing that covers it ensures that it is protected from the air and can retain its natural tenderness.

Traditional dove stuffed with pistachio spread from Gualtieri pastry shop

Robiglio
Via De' Medici, 16
ph. +39 055 215013

For lovers of tradition Robiglio is not to be missed! This pastry shop was founded in Florence in 1928 by a young pastry chef from Turin who brought new techniques for processing and decorating cakes to the city. The symbols of this historic company are the Campagnola (a cake made with candied fruit and whole dried fruit) and the Frutto d'Oro (a plumcake with dried fruit and chocolate). Undoubtedly, the strength of this pastry shop is the simple, genuine and well-presented things. In fact, their Easter dove, made with 100% natural yeast, is very popular with customers. It takes a very long process to make it, ranging from 3 to 4 days. During this time, 48 hours are spent leavening. This is because respecting the natural timeframe gives this product its unmistakable softness and deliciousness. In keeping with tradition, delicious Sicilian citrus candies are added to the dough. Finally, the whole is covered with almond and dried fruit icing.

Easter dove of Robiglio pastry shop

Pasticceria Giorgio
Via Duccio di Buoninsegna, 36
ph. +39 055 710849

For those who really love sweets, a veritable place of worship is Pasticceria Giorgio. Here, tradition combines with innovation to create exquisite products not to be missed, such as Easter doves. These are made only with top quality products (every day they 'refresh' their sourdough starter with flour and water) and are totally free of additives and preservatives. Two different types of colomba are produced: the classic one (with selected candied fruit and orange) and the one with apricot and gianduia chocolate. Also during this time of year, much loved by customers is their Schiacciata alla Fiorentina, linked to tradition and made only with genuine ingredients.

Pasticceria Giorgio

Pasticceria Cappelli
Via Chiantigiana,230/232
ph. +39 055 640259

Taste is a subjective matter, but it is an absolute certainty that the products of this pastry shop are 100% genuine and without secrets. In fact, their doves are made with natural yeast, certified shell eggs (produced by local farms with free-range hens), Corman butter and semi-candied fruit (fresher than classic candied fruit and with a stronger fruit flavour). Although this confectioner's shop is strongly committed to tradition, there is no lack of experimentation. For this reason, many different types of colomba are produced in addition to the classic one: pistachio, berry, chocolate and chocolate and pear. On the other hand, during the remaining days of the year, the most popular products are undoubtedly the millefoglie and profiteroles. Absolutely to try!

pasticceria cappelli

Pasticceria Fratelli Rigacci '48
Via P. Picasso, 14
ph. +39 055 826126

"A lot of passion for confectionery, a pinch of love for genuine products, natural yeast, creativity and 100 hours of leavening". This is the colomba of Fratelli Rigacci '48 in Via Pablo Picasso, 14. The 100 hours of leavening guarantee the unmistakable softness of those who do their work with love and professionalism. The candied fruit inside (orange, fig, citron and many others) are entirely produced by them. This pastry shop has a wide range of different types: from the colomba with pistachio and bitter chocolate spread, to the one with Sicilian citrus fruits (orange, lemon and citron), to the one with salted caramel, up to the colomba rocher. The latter is made with chocolate dissolved in the dough and (once cooked) chocolate cream is put inside. Finally, the whole thing is covered with rocher icing (chocolate and hazelnuts). There are also fig and walnut doves, chocolate and rum doves... the list goes on and on. On the website you can hurry up and discover all the flavours, which can also be delivered directly to your home. The quality of this company has been rewarded with multiple awards: the most recent is Miglior Panettone d'Italia 2020 (for their chocolate and rum panettone). What are you waiting for? Order it!

Pistachio Dove from Fratelli Rigacci '48 confectionery

Pasticceria Bellucci
Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 67
ph. +39 055 473088

For lovers of classic colomba, the Bellucci pastry shop is a must. This has been run by the Bellucci family since 1986 and is a real haven for gourmets. Working with passion and using only top quality ingredients, they manage to reconcile taste and presentation in all their creations. The dough of their colomba (made in the 1 kg format) is structurally similar to that of their much-appreciated panettone: it is a product with mixed leavening (48 hours of processing with sourdough and brewer's yeast), sugar, Italian butter and fresh eggs. Inside are orange candied fruit and sultanas. Its unmistakable flavour, which makes this pastry really popular with customers, is given by the addition of almond flour and vanilla to the dough. Not to be underestimated is the icing, which is made only with top-quality products such as hazelnut flour, egg white, almonds and granulated sugar. Also, for Easter, you should not miss their Umbrian Easter cake: a savoury cake made with Parmesan cheese, Pecorino Romano cheese, Emmenthal cheese and black pepper, leavened and shaped like a panettone. It's perfect with cold cuts... but it's also good on its own.

The delicious doves of the pastry Bellucci

Pasticceria Laquale
Via del Greco Carlo, 51
ph. +39 055 453188

Why buy colomba from the Laquale cake shop? Simply because it's good! It is not by chance that they come from all over Tuscany to buy it! Usually people try it the first time and.... shut up, shut up, come back and come back! This year their counter has two different types of colomba: the classic one and the chocolate one. The classic dove is made following tradition and carefully selecting all the products used. And while we're at it, we also recommend another "cult" product of this bakery (made all year round), the semolina cake, made with semolina, cream, chocolate and a delicious crumbly pastry. A real delicacy.

The unmissable colomba of Laquale pastry shop

Pasticceria Marisa
Via Circondaria, 24r
ph. +39 055 366566

The link that this pastry shop has with tradition is very strong indeed. This is because they have been making cakes for a lifetime: it is an art practised since the great-grandfather of this family, who (then) passed on his passion to his son, leading him to open this pastry shop on 7 January 1979. These roots mean that even today there is a continuous search for genuine products and a respect for natural production times (in fact it takes 3 to 4 days to make a dove). In short, Pasticceria Marisa is much more than just a shop... it is a real big family that works with passion! At Easter they produce three different types of dove: the classic dove (with semi-candied fruit inside, which is much tastier), and the dove with pears and chocolate (one of the most popular). Small chocolate drops are inserted inside, which melt during cooking, giving the dove the necessary gluttony at every point) and pistachio (made with 100% Italian pistachios).

Pasticceria Marisa