The charming hilly region of Chianti is home to excellent wines and cuisine, making it a perfect destination for foodie lovers who like to savour excellent gastronomical products but also enjoy memorable landscapes and discover a piece of Italian history.
On our May Road trip we decided to go to the southern part of Tuscany and to spend a few days around Sienna, Volterra, Montepulciano and other small villages in the area of Crete Sienesi. Looking at the map, I realised that it would be great to make a quick stop in Chianti as well, even though this was not our original plan. As a food lover, I could haved missed the opportunity to have a glass of great Chianti and taste a nice beef steak (stake of Chianina meat – an ancient Italian cattle breed).
The Chianti region, home of the famous Tuscan red wine Chianti is located in the centre of the Tuscany region and is surrounded by main "art" cities like Florence, Sienna and Arezzo in Chianti.
The name »Chianti« is currently used to identify several different areas of the territory depending on the point of view (if looking purely geographically, historically, or following the regulation of the wine's designation). Following this last one, there are specific municipalities only where the produced wines can be named "Chianti Classico" and are certified with the famous Black Rooster symbol.
But it is not all about wine and food, the region enchants visitors with its unique landscapes, including gentle green hills that are covered with vineyards and olive groves. Between the blushing nature, you will spot small stone villages and picture-perfect countryside homes and wineries.
Our first stop was in Montefioralle, a small hilltop village in Chianti, enclosed in its mediaeval walls and home to ca. 60-100 inhabitants. By pure coincidence, I noticed the images of this small village in an article and I thought it was worth a short stop.
The village was once a fortified castle and its walls and archways are still well preserved. Inside the walls, you will discover a tiny village with beautiful stone buildings in the typical Tuscan style.
This is a charming, quiet corner of Tuscany, where you can make a short walk to admire the villages and views of the surrounding Tuscan landscape.
Our next stop was Radda in Chianti, one of the charming towns that, even today, preserves its original mediaeval look. The town had a glorious, but also tumultuous, history. Radda in Chianti was in fact the headquarters of the Chianti League (the military-administrative league founded by Florence in the 13th century to protect these territories from Siena’s clutches).
Today, it is an important tourist centre, being the heart of the Chianti Classico territory. The mediaeval walls are still there and embrace the heart of the town and the picturesque streets.
The town is located on a hill between the valleys of Arbia and Pesa. The area was already inhabited in the 9th century. The Mediaeval look is even more characterised by the stone facades, narrow streets and tower buildings.
On the main square, you will notice the Palazzo del Podestà and the Romanesque Church of S. Niccolo. The Palazzo was the headquarters of the League of Chianti for over four centuries, and today you can still see many coats of arms on its facade.
We just wondered around the streets and although it has a glorious past, we haven’t noticed any museums, but I think that if you stop in Radda, it's just to immerse yourself in a calm and relaxing atmosphere and enjoy the peace of the town, admire the views of the surrounding hills and taste some good wines.
We entered some of the small shops and wine shops and we selected a few nice bottles of wine to take home.
On our way out of Radda, we realised that we were a little bit hungry, and after a quick look around, we spotted a small grocery shop. A classical Italian panini would be just fine. The selection of cold cuts was so vast that we couldn’t decide what to try and the vendor immediately noticed our indecision, and he was the nicest vendor I ever met. We had a quick chat, we told him that this was our first time in Chianti and he said that he would make us a mix of local cold cuts and that he has a small table in front of his shop where we could make our own sandwiches. It was a quick and simple lunch, but these panini will always remain in my memory.
Our last stop was another hilltop village, Castellina in Chianti. The charming town is surrounded by symmetrical vineyards and wooded groves. The city's origins go back to Etruscan times and there are still many visible remains (it 's possible to learn more about its history at archaeological sites and in the Archaeological museum in the city centre.
Also, due to its strategic position between Siena and Florence, the town has been destroyed and rebuilt many times in history. The borgo still preserves the quadrilateral shape that was part of the mediaeval fortification. You can also easily spot the mediaeval towers. The Rocca is the main fortification. A huge tower dating back in 14th-century tower.
All along the ancient walls there is a line of underground tunnels that are called Via delle Volte. This tunnel goes around the town, and today it is full of shops and restaurants. It must be very nice and refreshing in the summer months since it offers a nice shadow. Thus, tunnels are a result of city growth. When the city felt the need to expand, they built over the road, and in that way, they created tunnels.
We've made a quick stop at the Church of San Salvatore and walked by the Rocca (the building hosts the Municipality and the Archaeological Museum of Chianti, but we haven’t visited them inside.
The day was slowly turning into the evening, and we made our way to our accommodation. It was a private home offering a few rooms. A very cosy property, where we were the only guests (I guess because we were travelling off season).
After a short rest and a quick search online, we selected a small restaurant not far away from our accommodation that was offering steaks made from local beef. We ended our day with a nice Fiorentina steak and a glass of Chianti wine.
After a nice sleep, we were ready for our next adventure in the southern part of Tuscany.
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