Chianti

A mosaic of green hills, stretches of amber vineyards, silvery olive groves, villages and solemn parish churches: welcome to Chianti.

The area has no sharply drawn borders: the classic distinction is between Florentine Chianti and Sienese Chianti, used above all to mark out two of the best-known wine productions in the world.

Set in the heart of Tuscany, the area is rich in natural beauty and is also an important landmark in the region’s history: ancient settlements, first Etruscan and then Roman, have left significant traces.

Chianti has always been an interesting area, both for its natural resources and for a position that made enemy attacks difficult: with its extensive woodland, which still sets it apart today, the area was hard to reach and so remained safe from the barbarian invasions that followed the fall of the Roman Empire.

Between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, however, a great many battles fought between the city-states of Siena and Florence left a deep mark on this land, both architecturally and culturally. Direct and austere witnesses to the shifts in power, castles and fortified villages dominate the gentle hilltops, handing down the strength and history of an area full of secrets and stories to tell.

Once the age of battles was over, parts of Chianti were cleared of woodland to make the land workable for farming: thanks to the mild climate and the natural fertility of the soil, vines and olive trees began to be grown, paving the way for the production of excellent oil and of the precious Chianti wine, still renowned today.

Among the wines, the names vary with the area of the vineyard: Chianti Classico, Chianti dei Colli Aretini, Chianti Rufina, Chianti dei Colli Senesi. Chianti Classico, named and marked by the “Black Rooster,” the symbol of the ancient Chianti Military League, has an enveloping flavor and a color almost hypnotic in its intensity.

Among the most prized and sought-after food and wine products of Chianti are fine cheeses and full-flavored cured meats, delicious meats and traditional Tuscan desserts: they are the stars of the festivals and historical reenactments held in Chianti, such as the Festa della Stagion Bona (April), the Chianti Festival (July) and the Sagra d’Autunno (November).