Chianti, famous for the vineyards from which the area’s world-famous wine is made, is a succession of charming hilly landscapes straddling the provinces of Florence and Siena, Arezzo and the Colli Pisani.
Always considered the ‘heart of Tuscany‘, it is ‘inhabited’ by rows of vines, oaks and holm oaks, chestnut woods and medieval villages where time seems to stand still. In every village you’re more than likely to come across wine cellars, castles, fortresses, parish churches, country houses, farms and characteristic wine shops. The views are rewarding. Framed by the silvery colour of the olive trees, the perfect geometry of the vines, the country lanes bordered by cypress trees, the fields of broom at the foot of the woods, they feature striking landscapes that have been photographed and printed on postcards and calendars sent all over the world, inviting everyone to explore this paradise. It is no coincidence that this land is referred to as ‘Chiantishire‘, or the county of Chianti, because of the large number of foreigners, not only English, who reside here permanently. Every season is a good time to visit this area, which is an ideal destination for cultural trips, making a dream of love come true and organising any kind of event. Spring and autumn are the best times, when the landscape looks characteristically Tuscan, the climate is mild and the countryside blossoms in all its beauty. In summer, this is the right place to relax. In autumn, festivals and events linked to the local traditions, history and culture of wine and good food liven up the villages and towns. In ancient times, Chianti was more mountainous than hilly: rich in woodland, water and game, it was not easily accessible, due to its location on the outskirts of the area linked by the main communication routes, an aspect that partly protected it from the great barbarian invasions after the fall of the Roman Empire. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, this land was often a battleground, fiercely contested by the Communes of Siena and Florence. After the wars ended, some valleys were cleared and used for agriculture. Its name can be attributed to the municipalities of Gaiole, Radda and Castellina (known as “in Chianti”), territories that formed the ancient “Florentine Military League of Chianti”, whose emblem was the Gallo Nero or Black Cockerel. Today, partly as a result of the law on the designation of wines, the municipalities of San Casciano and Tavernelle in Val di Pesa, Greve, and part of Barberino in Val d’Elsa, as well as the Sienese municipalities of Castelnuovo Berardenga and Poggibonsi, also bear the “Chianti” DOCG label.