Terre di Siena - Podere Lecceta · Siena San Gimignano Chiusdino ... that Cosimo III, Archduke of...

Terre di Siena

INT CHIANTI UK 30-07-2009 16:30 Pagina 1

chiant i

THE PROVINCE OF SIENATHE MUNICIPALITIES OFCASTELLINA IN CHIANTICASTELNUOVO BERARDENGAGAIOLE IN CHIANTIRADDA IN CHIANTITHE TOURIST BOARD OF SIENAWELCOME YOU TOTERRE DI SIENA


Chiant i

Terre di Siena


the chianti, a land of harmony

the precious scent of the hills / the garden called chianti

bread for a day, wine for a year

from the Etruscans to the “Iron Baron”/ chianti, a wine for eternity

“sacred” olive trees and their precious oil / a grove of priceless emeralds

the breed in the buongoverno fresco / cinta, the flavour of history

itinerary: from the ancient league to the berardenga

sharecroppers as architects / houses amidst the fields

pedalling down country roads / in praise of slowness

a land of beauty / contemporary art

festivities in the chianti

to find out more

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toscana i ta l ia

Chiant i

ca s te l l i na i n ch i an t ica s te l nuovo be ra rdengaga io l e i n ch i an t iradda i n ch i an t i

f i renzesiena

Terre di Siena


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Siena

San Gimignano

ChiusdinoMonticiano

Colle di Val d’Elsa

Radicondoli

Casole d’Elsa

Castellina in Chianti

Radda in Chianti

Gaiole in Chianti

Castelnuovo Berardenga

Murlo

Poggibonsi

Sovicille

Buonconvento

Monteroni d’Arbia

Rapolano Terme

Monteriggioni

San Giovanni d’Asso

Montepulciano

ChiusiSarteano

San Casciano dei Bagni

Cetona

Piancastagnaio

Chianciano Terme

Asciano

Trequanda

Sinalunga

Torrita di Siena

Radicofani

Abbadia San Salvatore

Montalcino

Pienza

San Quirico d’Orcia

Castiglione d’Orcia


the chianti, a land of harmony

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A JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORY, HUMAN VICISSITUDES ANDENCHANTING LANDSCAPES

The land we are about to explore does not exist. Surprised?Bear with us, and we will demonstrate how easy it is to travel to a destination in your imagination, where everything ispervaded by the essence of those who have lived there,immediately creating a sensation that with time reachesstraight to your soul. What would the Sienese Chianti bewithout its inhabitants? Perhaps a dark, forbidding forest asthat described by Dante, where instead the hills of the Chiantirise up from the heart of Tuscany to find expression in steepslopes and softly rolling hills. Even more impressive are theboundless woodlands of holm oaks, oaks and chestnuts, thecontorsions of thickets and the wild ravines that seem clawedout by the hand of the Creator in a moment of inspired frenzy.Without the human touch, the Sienese Chianti would be nomore than a barren wilderness. The pervasive presence ofman’s handiwork has made this a garden of Eden thanks notonly to nature, but to logic. The identity of the Chianti has longbeen a matter of debate. It would be painstaking to explainexactly why, ten centuries after the Chianti League was firstfounded, there is still a need to identify common denominatorsfor these lands. In any case, without doubt the Sienese Chianti hasn’t always been the tranquil source of excellencethat we have come to take for granted.

MAN AND NATURE MEET LANDSCAPE BUILDERS

This was a land of bitter conflict, of weapons and of hardshipto the point that man and nature were in open competition.


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Ironically enough, the outermost reach of this remoteRepublic was the first settlement to be codified. The unending conflict with Florence enlarged this territoryuntil the dawn of the Renaissance and transformed theessence of its architecture, inhabitants and landscape. It had always been a place where the indentured came intocontact with the aristocracy to address matters of politics,religion and humanity. In fact, the Sienese Chianti hasalways acted as an osmotic demarcation between twoworlds: one made up of those who toil on the land, and theother of those who profit from their labour. But what would seem an irresolvable conflict has actuallylaid the basis for this land’s current configuration:simultaneously countryside and an urban appendage. This fusion of styles, interests and endowments distinguishesthe Chianti as unique in Italy. The Sienese Chianti today appears immediately welcoming,a kind of retreat for our concerns, a place where ourinnermost dreams, needs and aspirations are satisfiedthrough the pursuit of authentic physical and spiritual enrichment. This is a land of well-being (in the most general sense ofour existence) and harmony, but it is also a land ofcultivation, not only in terms of agriculture but also in termsof the refinement of intellect that gives this place its soul.

THE JOY OF DISCOVERY THE NYMPH OF THE CHIANTI

This is an example of the fruitful union of the classical Greek“fusis”and ”sofos” of nature and logic. Their marriage hasgiven rise to a sort of divinity: the nymph of the Chianti, the

Landscape MuseumVia del Chianti Castelnuovo BerardengaTel. 0577 355500www.comune.castelnuovo-berardenga.si.it

The aim of this museum’sscientific didactic method is toencourage you to reflect onthe term “landscape” and toinvite you to discover theSienese territory with the helpof photos, drawings and films.

Museo de l Paesaggio


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soul of this land. Brambles and grape vines make up herhair, the wind is her breath, sparkling streams reflect hereyes, wine flows in her veins and rolling hills are thecontours of her body. Her smile shines like the sun, and sheis as proud as a castle and gentle as an abbey. She is simultaneously earthy and ascetic, older than timewhile elegant in her youthfulness. She is endowed withmysterious magic and loves to be on display, to expressherself, to welcome visitors and be an object of desire. She slowly reveals herself to those who have the patienceand courage to discover her innermost essence, the union ofnature and logic. Now it is becoming clearer why theexploration we are embarking on is one of imaginary lands:the home of the nymph could never be as it is if it weren’tfor the intervention of man and his ability to perpetuate andcomprehend this intervention. This means that the identity ofthe Chianti resides primarily in a conscious effort to generateharmony between the forces of nature and the intellect ofman. Seeking this out in a genealogical progression couldonly provide a sort of Dna catalogue. The Chianti wasoriginally a land of pre-rural settlement which provided thebasis for its culture, then became the retreat of hermits andsite of feudal conflict, flourished throughout the Renaissanceand finally declined into a land of abject poverty where mantested his ability to survive through the providence of thewoods. Finally, in recent times the Chianti has again becomea place of aristocratic husbandry. But over the ages it hasbeen deprived of its inhabitants, and today appears as asingle immense farm where the latest agriculturaltechniques coexist with an atavic rural soul. It has oftenbeen said that the arrival of foreigners in the Chianti overthe past four decades and their investment in grape and

Archeological MuseumPiazza del Comune 17-18Castellina in ChiantiTel. 0577 742090www.museisenesi.org

Archeological finds from theSienese Chianti region are onshow here. The display showsthe historical and productiveevolution and that of thelandscape, as from the BronzeAge.

Museo Archeolog ico de l Ch iant i Senese


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olive cultivation has changed the essence of this land. Thisimpression is incorrect, since that garden that is the Chiantihas essentially been conserved and enriched thanks to thisinvestment. But it is equally true that the true identity of theChianti has become hidden under the guise of its agriculturalexcellence, particularly that of its vineyards. Nowadays itsidentity must be sought out in little-travelled itineraries,which we will explore while stopping off in the local capitalsof the Sienese Chianti: Castellina, Radda, Gaiole and finallyCastelnuovo Berardenga, which overlooks Siena and piazzadel Campo where the Torre del Mangia points toward thesky to emphasize our human aspiration to transcendence.

SIMULTANEOUSLY RURAL AND URBAN CULTIVATED NOBILITY

It would seem obvious to state that the identity of theChianti may be found in its wine, but this is anoversimplification. This is undoubtedly one of the most famous, important andenchanting winemaking lands in the world. But it would be an injustice to simply equate the Chiantiwith the wine of the same name, because the truedistinguishing characteristic of this land lies in its refinedperception of rural culture. This is the fruit of a farming culture rooted in history, linkedto the local architecture and influenced by the landscaped which man has refined and reinforced throughtraditions that have come to represent a lifestyle. This rural consciousness currently represents the greatestattraction to the Chianti, but actually has aristocratic roots.This is not because the countryside is dotted with famous

Castello di Brolio


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estates and feudal manors or because it attracts members of the modern-day nobility of show business, intellectual and business elites, but rather due to theexcellence of its agricultural products. We must remember that the wine is a product of the Chianti,and not vice versa. And together with wine, local ruralwisdom has also conserved and promoted olive oil, the so-called “woodland economy” and the Cinta Senesebreed of swine which has been rediscovered as one of themost prized ingredients in local cuisine. Even shepherding is still practiced to produce excellentpecorino cheese, as is cattle raising, thus completing thecycle of agricultural activity. But the key to the excellence of local cuisine is not sosimple: the quality of the ingredients must be accompaniedby the essence of the land. Every dish is a product of local culture, which is both fruit of the land and of the relationship man has establishedwith it. Here the environment has been preserved so well becauseof man’s presence, not in spite of it.

AGRICULTURAL TOURISM AND ACCOMMODATIONDREAMING IN THE FIELDS

We might say that the Sienese Chianti we may now admireis a LAND OF HARMONY. For a moment we must stop andreflect on the relationship between man and nature. There is obviously a reason for the existence of so many tinyvillages (such as Vertine or San Gusmè, gems made of brickand stone cemented by time), so many Romanesque parish


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churches (Badia a Coltibuono in itself is a perfect example of the power and spirituality that together reside in this land)and so many country estates coveted for their promise of amore genuine life in the country. These estates todayaccommodate the highest level of rural hospitality available inEurope. Some say these estates have been too drasticallytransformed to adapt them to the tourism market. But we must remember that the comfort they represent todayis actually inferior with respect to the exponentially greatercomfort they offered for their time when they were built.While this land has undoubtedly witnessed great toil for low pay, it has also been renowned as a land ofagricultural aristocracy since the 1400s. Nor must we forgetthat Cosimo III, Archduke of Tuscany, codified the area of production for Chianti wine and restricted the use of theChianti trademark as long ago as 1716. Since travellingthrough a land also means tracing its origins, it would be wiseto seek the origins of the Chianti and its wine in the proseentitled Bacco in Toscana by the great scholar Francesco Redi:“Del buon Chianti il vin decrepito/ maestoso, imperioso/ mipasseggia dentro il core/ e ne scaccia senza strepito/ ogniaffanno e ogni dolore…” (Good Chianti, that aged, majesticand proud wine, enlivens my heart, and frees it painlesslyfrom all fatigue and sadness). Although his verses areexpressionist in Italian, his message is as worthy as ever: thisis a wine that creates harmony. And this is exactly what wewill seek and find in dreamy agricultural tourism estates that were once home to sharecroppers, in Romanesque parishchurches that supported communities whose social ethicswere based on faith and in castles that symbolise thedifficulty encountered in governing such a complex territory.Thus the social framework of the Chianti is undeniablyresponsible for its past and present character.

The precious scent of the hills The garden called Chianti

Entering the verdant landscape ofthe Sienese Chianti is like being onan ancient, solitary journey amidstthe intense, lasting embrace ofnoble vineyards and sacred olivegroves. These softly rolling hills have beenshaped by the presence of man andmaintained in a pristine state thatsuits the hushed activity of theRomanesque churches, the imposingcastles, the mortarless walls, theancient stones of the chapels andespecially the tiny Medieval villages.Thus we are able to stake out amemorable itinerary in a veritablebotanical garden. Mediterranean brush serves as theChianti’s backdrop, speckled withchestnuts, holm oaks, pines,cypresses, hornbeams, oaks and

junipers framed by ruddy oakstands.These colours mix and mute (withthe change of the seasons) in themidst of wheat fields, thickets and the woodland floor inhabited bycockleburs, butcher’s broom, wildasparagus, holly and ferns to create a landscape so varied as tobe an inspiration.Over a thousand years of toiling onthe land can easily justify this sense of beauty and spirituality.And if you are lucky enough to takein the panorama from Radda in Spring, with alternating lakes,vineyards and fields such a those of broken clay in Parco diSant’Agnese, you will be blessedwith the chance to admire violets, broomflowers, primrose,


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AGRICULTURE AS CULTURE A RURAL ATTRACTION

And so we set out on our search for quality and beauty. We will travel primarily along three roads: the Chiantigiana(statale 222), Statale 408 and the Traversa del Chianti, criss-crossed by a plethora of minor roads and country roadswhich make up that vital network that has made it possiblefor the Chianti to be so widely inhabited. These roads frame the landscape, cut across pristinewoodlands, flank the sea of vineyards that waves greenalong the hillsides where houses seem like ports andlighthouses to guide wayfarers and ultimately encircle olivegroves, terminating at the foot of cypress trees that contrastthe horizon with their dark green brushstrokes toward the sky. So let’s set out.

viburnum, cornelia, anemones,hawthorn and intensely sweet cyclamen andheather. Along rivers poplars cast a spell withtheir fluttering of black and silver. In the Chianti not only has thisnatural magic been respected, it hasalso been appreciated andpromoted: in CastelnuovoBerardenga a museum has evenbeen created to honour thelandscape. In the nearby Montagnola range amuseum has been created in honourof the woods (in Sovicille =Suffichillum, or fig tree) todemonstrate how the farmlandsurrounding Siena is intimatelylinked with these hills, whosecharacter, today prized by naturalists

and hunters alike, is in turn linkedwith the coast and Maremma.Wandering through these lands,whether on foot, horseback,mountain bike or hot air balloon,one can appreciate the history andlandscape of the Sienese Chiantiwhile finding himself and beingovercome by sensations that open the heart and mind amidstsuch profound harmony.


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b read for a day, wine for a year


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The cuisine of the Sienese Chianti may be well summed up in this old local proverb. This cuisine is intimately linked to its ingredients,the land and the seasons, still harking back to a sharecropper economy that exported its products, ingredients and recipes to the city.Wine was first made by the Etruscans. Chianti has always been the quintessential Italian wine, and will continue to be so. It is not onlydrunk, but often enters into Chianti recipes. It enhances sauces, the risotto with mushrooms whose recipe remains Stiaccini’s secret and the typical Chianti braised beef.In the Chianti, bread is baked in a wood-burning oven. It lasts for a week, is broken with a knife and is as good at the end of the weekas at the beginning. When it is left over, depending on the season it is used in panzanella, ribollita, pappa col pomodoro, andoccasionally in pappa col papavero, once considered a remedy for epileptics. When toasted it is the base for fettunta or cavolo (nero)sulle fette (covered with cabbage leaves). These both require freshly pressed olive oil, that precious golden liquid likewise inherited from the Etruscans that is the underlyingflavour of all Chianti cuisine which on occasion assumes medicinal properties and even enters into love potions.The typical local cheeses are marzolino and pecorino; they were often the object of bartering when the transhumance passed through the Chianti twice a year.The Chianti boasts its own humble spice rack: garlic and onions, sage and laurel leaves, thyme and rosemary, chickory and bitter herbs, local nipitella and salvestrella, juniper berries and acacia flowers. Flavours picked from the garden or in the countryside give rawand cooked dishes a sort of bourgeois refinement. The meat is the best this world has to offer: beef and veal, pork from Cinta senese and wild boar, range chickens and pheasants, ducksand geese, rabbits and wild hare, doves and pigeons. Lamb is a must at Easter. And just as local dialect includes an intermediatemeaning between “this” and “that” (questo, codesto e quello), local cuisine mediates between wild and domesticated ingredients. Fruit is a celebration of the change of seasons: winter persimmons, apples, dried fruit and nuts give way to a cornucopia of peaches,plums, cherries, apricots, figs, grapes, strawberries and blackberries throughout the summer. Local cakes are fragrant with wheat, fresh eggs, honey and jam and take the form of crostate, pinolate and simple or filled ciambelloni. Keep an eye out for Chianti vinsanto, which is neither sweet nor dry: it’s simply vinsanto. If you are lucky enough to encounter it, don’t you dare dip cantuccini biscuits in it! To do so would be a sin, and no small one at that.

Alessandro Falassi


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The magic of the Chianti is not appreciated only while walking through forests or olive groves, exploring towers and castles or soaking in a whirlpool of hot springs. It also bubbles forth from the bottles of wine that are renowned the world over. Just as the “purple froth” written of by Gaardner, it is a sort ofpotion that evokes the depth of the landscape, the scent of the countryside and the wisdom of man. This land’s primeval link with wine has been confirmed by the recent discovery of several “Vitis Vinifera” seeds in a local Etruscan tomb. Since lateMedieval times, wine production has been the clear impetus of local agriculture and the local economy.Since then, this wine has represented “a long-standing effort and recent wealth”, as the notoriety of both the wine and the region have spread throughoutthe world. Its various qualities are still a source of pride for Italian winemaking on the international market. Thus it is no coindicence that when the greatphysicist Enrico Fermi successfully concluded his attempt at nuclear fission, he opened a flask of Chianti and asked his collaborators to sign the label. The hall of fame of international physics was gathered together under the symbol of the “Gallo nero”. That flask is still venerated in Chicago as a tangibletribute to human genius, and has helped to make Chianti the most popular Italian wine among Angloamericans.A document found in the Badia di San Bartolomeo a Ripoli and dated 790 gives some idea of the origin of this confusing name. It is most likely anadaptation of the Latin term clangor, which refers to the calls and squawks typically heard in dense woodlands along with the trumpets of aristocratic hunts and the cries of animals. Some glottologists trace the name to Etruscan origins, while others consider it to be a late-Germanic term dating to the Longobard occupation. In any case, official documents refer to the Chianti as early as the seventh century.This is also a land of great wines thanks to the monks who deforested the area and planted vineyards on the land surrounding their abbeys, withoutmentioning the farmers who have continued to tend these vineyards to this day. Contemporary history of the “Chianti Classico” began in the 1800s, when Bettino Ricasoli, who we might call the “father” of modern Chianti, codified the recipe for Chianti production. In 1874 he defined the traditional method of Tuscan wine-making and established the proportions of the grapescomprising Chianti: “this wine receives most of its perfume and a certain vigorous sensation from Sangiovese; from Canaiolo it draws agreeability to temper any initial harshness; Malvasia, which is rarely used in wines to be aged, tends to reduce the prominence of the two preceding varieties, addsflavour and makes this wine lighter and easier to consume daily at the table”. Back then Chianti was meant to be a medium-bodied wine suited to everyoccasion and any dish. That made it necessary to tone down the tannins in the Sangiovese by adding a certain amount of white grapes ( Trebbiano and Malvasia) and gentler red grapes (Cannaiolo and Colorino) capable of enliving the “pale” Sangioveto.A glass of this ruby red tending toward granate if aged, with its scent of primroses, spices and berries and presenting a structured, harmonious, elegant,sapid and lightly tannic flavour, sums up all the pride in this land, together with its history and legends. The most famous of these is intimately tied to the

From the E t ruscans to the “ I ron Baron”, Chiant i , a wine for etern i ty


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There’s Ch iant i and Ch iant i !

With its DOC appellation conferred in1967 and then raised to DOCG in1984, Chianti wine is produced in avast area of central Tuscany comprisingthe following subdenominations: ColliAretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi,Colline Pisane, Montalbano,Montespertoli e Rùfina. Chianti Classico, which was also asubdenomination of Chianti until 1996,is today an autonomous DOCG with itsown production criteria.Its area of production is the oldesttraditional zone, covering municpalitiesin the province of Siena (CastelnuovoBerardenga, Castellina, Radda, Gaiolein Chianti and Poggibonsi) and ofFlorence (Greve in Chianti, BarberinoVal d’Elsa, San Casciano and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa).A denomination does not simplydetermine geographical origin aswithin a prescribed territory, but alsoenforces the regulations set out in the code of production.

The element that distinguishes mostred Tuscan wines is the use ofSangiovese grapes, which aredifficult to grow and contain a highlevel of acidity, prominent tannins anddisplay a ruby red colour. The minimum percentage ofSangiovese prescribed by the Chianticode is 75%, while for Chianti Classicoit rises to 80%, thus accentuating the predominant role of this grape. Both codes allow for the vinification ofsolely Sangiovese (100%), which thenbecomes the absolute protagonist.Today the Chianti Classico recipeallows for the inclusion ofcomplementary varieties along withthe basic grape variety. These may be red, as in the case ofCanaiolo and Colorino and other so-called “international" varieties suchas Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for a maximum of 20%, while white varieties such as Trebbiano andMalvasia will no longer be allowed

starting with the 2006 harvest. Instead, in Chianti, starting in 2003,10% of Trebbiano and/or Malvasiawill be allowed in addition to 10% of red Canaiolo and 15% of other red grapes (which reaches 20% forChianti with reference to the subareasand the specific denomination“Superiore”), with a limit of 10% for each grape variety. In the end, the 90 quintals producedper hectare in the Chiantifall to 80 when considering the Chianti sub-areas and reach only 75with reference to Chianti Classicoterritory. In the first two cases, the wine maybe placed on the market starting on the 1st of March following thegrape harvest, while Chianti Classicomay be put up for sale starting thefollowing 1st of October, and Riserva varieties require at least twoyears of ageing. The distinctions listed above and other

precise chemical and physical parameters for the DOCG make Chianti Classico on average a softer,more structured wine more suited formedium-to-long-term ageing,especially in the Riserva category.Chianti may be drunk primarily as ayoung wine that is fresh and pleasingon the palate, with the exception ofcertain Riserva categories whichdisplay a stronger personality. Mention should be made of the recentreinstatement of the "Superiore"variety of Chianti, for which grapeproduction per hectare reaches only75 quintals, adherence to stricterchemical and physical parameters isrequired and minimum ageing isextended to the 1st of September ofthe year following the harvest, thusproviding for the production of a truly superior variety of Chianti!

Filippo Bartolotta


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wine itself, and explains the origins of the Gallo Nero (black rooster) that has always graced bottles of Chianti Classico. This was the symbol of the ChiantiLeague, conceived by Florence as a way to keep an eye on ambitious Siena. Legend has it that the ”vexata quaestio”, the dilemma of setting theboundary between the two cities was settled by having one horseman set off from Florence and another from Siena at the sunrise crow of a rooster. The cunning Florentines chose a scrawny black rooster that they purposely kept underfed, so that it crowed earlier than its Sienese counterpart.Subsequently the Florentine horseman travelled farther, gaining more territory for his homeland. Today the situation is more balanced, and the surface area of the Florentine Chianti is only about a thousand hectares greater than that of the SieneseChianti. The black rooster was first chosen a symbol on Chianti bottles by the present Chianti association, known as Consorzio Marchio Storico ChiantiClassico and founded by 33 producers in Radda in 1924. Another milestone was 1967, when the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) appellationwas inaugurated, and 1984, when the Denominazione di Origine Controllata Garantita (DOCG) appellation was introduced. In order to fortify the stock of Sangiovese - the prime ingredient in Chianti – and thus improve the quality of the wine itself, in recent years the project“Progetto Chianti Classico 2000” has provided for the replanting of numerous vineyards with new clones. This wine-making evolution was undoubtedlyalso encouraged by the worldwide acclaim attained by the Supertuscans. These wines are produced within the geographical Chianti area but do not satisfythe criteria that apply to DOCG Chianti, inasmuch as they usually consist of a blend of Sangiovese with Cabernet and Merlot in greater quantities thanthose allowed for Chianti, to the point that this blend has often been defined as a sort of modified bordolese. The introduction of allocthonous vines (such as those for superb white Chardonnay) has demonstrated the great worth of this terroir. This is one of the few areas in the world, along withBorgogne, Bordeaux, the Napa and Sonoma Valleys and the South African Cape, to be recognised as a veritable land of wine. Vineyards extend as far as the eye can see, and a plethora of cellars, tasting halls and wine bars, has actually transformed Chianti into a lifestyle.


20This is a land of great wines, artisticsplendour and also of a superb,prestigious extra-virgin olive oil.Inevitably so, as olive groves are oneof the most inherent aspects of theTuscan landscape, and particularly inthe Chianti. This product arrived in the SieneseChianti through a series ofvicissitudes. In Medieval times olivecultivation was first expresslypromoted through the stipulation ofnorms and statutes by land ownersaimed at safeguarding andenhancing their estates. It was increasingly in their interest to produce products that weresaleable in addition to serving forprivate use. Cultivation increased stillfurther in the 1400s, leading to the creation of the typical landscapeof vineyards and olive groves

we so love today. Thus it is possible to admirecenturies-old olive trees on thehillsides surrounding Radda andCastellina, which have become idealexamples of the Sienese countryside.Olive trees share in the history of thesurroundings and their inhabitants,recording their presence, vicissitudesand evolution. These trees requireconsiderable attention in order to beproductive, and are oddly incapableof reproducing and bearing fruitwithout human intervention. And weare equally grateful for their survival.The olive tree has long been held as sacred by the inhabitants of theMediterranean, as it provides energy, nourishment and medication.Consequently, rural settlements aredependent on its cultivation, and the Chianti is one of the most perfect

expressions of rural lifestyle.The most widespread varieties havealways included Frantoio, whichproduces oil that is highly prized forits refinement and flavour, the morecommon, aromatic Leccino andMoraiolo, with a robust flavour andscent.The worthiness of this product wasfirst confirmed with an initialappellation recognising Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil (Reg. CE n°644dated 20/03/1998) and morerecently with the U.E. certification ofDenominazione di Origine ProtettaD.O.P. for “Chianti Classico” and“Terre di Siena” extra-virgin olive oilnoted for its low acidity, abundantantioxidants and oleic acid, colourranging from bright green to golden,fruity olive scent and sweet to tart, pungent and sometimes

spicy flavour. The regulation governing productionguarantees the traceability,uniqueness and quality of oil that isnot solely an excellent cookingingredient, but is also a veritable“shot of health” thanks to itsvitamin content, antioxidantproperties and digestibility.Extravirgin olive oil is capable ofblocking the absorption ofcholesterol (thanks to thepolyphenols, tocopherols and sterolsit contains). Its extensive use in the Chianti diet in which fettunta is atypical appetizer and snack,pinzimonio is a refreshing summerdish and ribollita confers classic,hearty flavour (to be seasoned at thetable with an additional douse ofraw “liquid gold”) is an undeniablekey to good health.

“Sacred” ol ive t rees and thei r prec ious oi l A grove of pr iceless emeralds


21The breed in the Buongoverno f resco Cinta, the f lavour of historyThe Cinta Senese swine native to theSienese countryside is more typicallyknown as “il maiale dal colletto”. A strip of white fur reaches from theshoulders to the hooves, clearlyvisible on an otherwise black coat,recognisable as any trademark.Interestingly enough, black andwhite are the colours of the SieneseRepublic. This is one of Italy’s oldest originalbreeds, and anyone passing throughSiena’s town hall can view it in Pietro Lorenzetti’s famous frescoillustrating the allegory of GoodGovernment. At the beginning of the 1900s it wasthe only swine in the Chianti, butdue to its costliness with respect toother breeds, it later riskedextinction. As throughout Italy, it had been

replaced by the “large white” breed that grows quickly and can bekept in a pen. Instead, the Cinta requires at leastsome time on the range, slowing itsgrowth by half in comparison withshort-hair swine. It was spared extinction thanks tofarmers in the Montagnola range, who continued to raise atleast small numbers. Over the past twenty years, theefforts of breeders have made it possible to purify the breed andincrease its numbers, although it was necessary to strictly monitorslaughtering. Today it is bred on over eightyestates and is again repopulating.These animals thrive in vastwoodlands, where they feed onacorns, roots, tubers and truffles.

They are guided by a refined senseof smell and keep their ears loweredto protect their eyes from weeds and branches. The sows give birth toup to twelve offspring per year thatgrow slowly and are ready forslaughter in about eighteen months(130-150 kilos).The renewed success of the Cintabreed is due to its higher percentageof unsaturated fat (57%) withrespect to domesticated pigs (50%),which makes its meat tastier,healthier and lends it a deep redcolour.Cuts of Cinta meat have becomeprized throughout Italy, from the filetto roasts, shoulder and neckmuscles. But even more renowned for theirflavour are the cold meats: prosciutti,guanciali, sausages and seasoned

lard. The Compagnia della Cinta (a non-profit association) was beencreated to safeguard this breed, and the commercial association“Consorzio della Compagnia della Cinta” was followed by theConsorzio di Tutela, which in Sienarequested the DOP appellation for all Cinta swine products. This unique breed has been part ofthe history and local tradition of thisland for a millennium, and is proof of the survival of agriculturalwisdom over generations, in spite ofnumerous threats. It has not only survived, but haseven reached a renewed supremacyof taste.


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A FORTRESS AND GRACE THE SPELL OF CASTELLINA

Castellina in Chianti will be our starting point. This ancientlocal capital is first presented by the merloned castle ofPietrafitta. Various side roads along the Chiantigiana roadlead to villages, but we continue onward toward the hill that acts as watershed for the three rivers that havedominated the history of this land: the Arbia, which ran redwith the blood of Florentines after the battle of Montaperti;the Pesa, which marks the northwest boundary of theChianti; and the Elsa, whose course toward the sea so vitallyinfluences the microclimate of the Chianti. Castellina not somuch perches, but rather leans on its hillside support. The first impression it gives is lively rather than threatening,in spite of its ages-old military role as a stronghold at themeeting point of three important roads. Those interested indiscovering the remote origins this aristocratic countrysideshould stop off at the Montecalvario burial mound (follow the sign at the entrance to the town), with a total offour Etruscan burial mounds. Further to the south, nearFonterutoli (which we’ll discuss more later) lies thenecropolis of Poggino, proof that a sizeable community ofEtruscans was present here (the artifacts found here are ondisplay in the antiquarium in the Rocca di Castellina) fromthe third century B.C. onwards. Having acquired greaterknowledge of the archaic origins of this town, we may nowget to know it better. Castellina is endowed with a series ofpatrician family dwellings built out of the military outpostfounded by members of the Conti Guidi who left their originsin Garfagnana and reached deep within Tuscany, seeking todominate it either through diplomatic or military means.

itinerary: from the ancient


23

The Florentines then left their mark, engaged here as ever intheir ongoing conflict with the Sienese. The heart of thehistorical centre is the ancient Rocca, a fortress designed inthe second half of the 1400s by Giuliano da Sangallo, therenowned architect that Vasari praised in his Vite de’ più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori. The commissioncame straight from Lorenzo il Magnifico, who wanted to protect Castellina with a sturdy ring of walls and towers,which were subsequently in part transformed into houses.The Rocca was restored in the 1900s and consists of twoblocks joined by a high tower in the shape of a quarter-deck. The defensive system designed by Sangallo foresawonly two gates providing entrance to the town (“porta a Siena” and “porta a Firenze”), which have remained thepoints of reference in Castellina. Proof of the military nature of the town (it was first the capital of one of threecomponents of the Chianti League and then the capital of the League itself) may be admired in via delle Volte. Thisis a captivating tunnel that runs underneath 15th and 16th-century dwellings overlooking the town’s main street,via Ferruccio, which runs parallel to via delle Volte. Within the tunnel, tiny openings offer breathtaking views ofthe Chianti and lateral passages lead to secret hideouts andcellars. Instead, via Ferruccio bears witness to the opulencethat Castellina once enjoyed. At the end of this street, at thecrossroads that leads to the Rocca, the church of SanSalvatore appears in the neo-Romanesque style it wasconferred when reconstructed following the bombing duringthe last World War. Inside, the church displays a fresco by Lorenzo di Bicci (probably painted at the end of the 14thcentury) representing the Madonna con bambino. A trip toCastellina should also obviously take in some of the town’s

league to the berardenga

Castellina in Chianti


24

numerous opportunities for wine tasting, but should alsoinclude an encounter with the local specialty cold meats,which offer unforgettable flavours of rare quality. When leavingCastellina, we immediately find ourselves at a crossroads. It is possible to either continue along the Chiantigiana andtake in at least two typical Chianti sights (Fonterutoli and theRomanesqe parish church of San Leonino) or take the Statale429 road to Radda, winding for a few kilometres betweenoak-covered hills. We personally recommend stopping inFonterutoli, a cornerstone in the history of the Chianti.Nothing remains of its ancient castle, but the Mazzei familyvilla has dominated the village since 1435, accompanied bythe cluster of stone farmhouses which constituted itslivelihood. The road to Fonterutoli passes by a road leadingto Castellina Scalo, which boasts a series of prestigiouswinemakers. In Fonterutoli it’s worth taking a few minutes toread the stone tablets commemorating the decision in 998by Ottone III, then Emperor of the Sacred Roman Empire, tochange the map of the Chianti by assigning this village tothe Diocese of Arezzo. Later, on 29 March 1202 and 6October 1208, Fonterutoli’s church of San Miniato witnessedthe signing of two peace treaties between Siena andFlorence, which stipulated the boundary between the twocities’ Chianti landholdings. But to no avail: following thebattle of Montaperti and Florence’s subsequent revenge, thesetreaties were nullified and conflict reigned until Florenceultimately proved its supremacy and exerted its dominionover these villages. The attraction of history is irresistableand becomes particularly enjoyable when it lives on in thestones of Fonterutoli. Just a few more kilometres lead to SanLeonino in Conio to admire the original apse of theRomanesque parish church and to Quercegrossa (the

Sharecroppers as archi tects Houses amidst the f ields

Upon attent observation, architecturein the Chianti is actually a networkof constructions, of man-sizedspaces shaped by history andsociety. Outside the protective wallsof the villages, religious and civicinfluences have left their mark, withchurches and convents representingthe former while towers and castlesrepresent the latter. The occasional villas, country estatesand farms, rustic counterparts oftownhouses, are most intimately intouch with nature. Farmhouses, a product of thesharecropping system, have played acrucial role in this network. Themodels for their architectural designare immediately apparent.Brunelleschi’s influence, seen inconvexly shaped stone blocks, the

use of pietra serena stone and pale walls, is of Florentine origin andhas produced square, severeconstructions with solid foundations,veritable “towers of culturaldefense” glorifying the fruit ofman’s hard work. The otherinfluence, that of Baldassare Peruzzi,comes from Siena and makes use ofbricks and terracotta ornamentationbut is less voluminous, lighter and airier, as if sprung forth fromthe Etruscan earth in the colour ofthe Sienese landscape. The third model, that of modulardesign, is more organic. Such houses were built and enlargedby sharecropper families whoperiodically added on another room,hay loft, stable or veranda as the need arose.


25

town church dedicated to Saints Giacomo and Niccolòconserves a lovely Pietà in glazed terracotta attributed to theSienese artist Francesco di Giorgio Martini, who created it in the mid 1400s), worth visiting if only to honour its localgenius Jacopo di Pietro d’Agnolo, better known as Jacopodella Quercia. He was responsible for carrying Sienese art from the Gothic to the Renaissance with his elegantFonte Gaia that graces Piazza del Campo in Siena.This trip has taken us practically to Siena’s city gates, and inorder to reach Radda, the other capital of the SieneseChianti, rather than going back on the same 222Chiantigiana, we opt to continue on to the crossroads forCorsignano. From here twenty or so kilometres pass throughthe southern part of the Chianti League. But before reaching Corsignano, a worthwhile deviation tothe right leads to the Certosa di Pontignano. This is one of the largest monastic structures in the Chianti, founded in1343 by the Sienese merchant Bindo di Falcone Petroni andlater enlarged and remodelled in the 1500s. Today it hosts conferences held by the Università di Siena but stillconserves in the refectory an Ultima cena by the FlorentineBernardino Poccetti. The two courtyards are splendid: one isspacious, dating to the 1500s, while the other in brickworkdates to the preceding century. Leaving Pontignano behind, we retrace our path back to Corsignano, encounteringvillas, villages such as Vagliagli and Romanesque parishchurches, such as San Giusto in Salcio.

THE “LITTLE” CAPITAL RADDA , GENTLE AND SUAVE

Radda is finally within sight, and we set out to explore. This

The ground floor was reserved forlivestock, while the dwellingsthemselves were on the first floor,crowned by a dovecote. External stairways provided accessand fireplaces extended up to theroof and the sky beyond. Outside the house, the passage fromthe domestic to the naturalenvironment was so gradual as to be imperceptible, a quality rarelyobserved nowadays. The livingquarters were separated from thesurrounding woodland first by a brick threshing floor, then by awalnut tree, a well and a garden.The most important crops, usuallyvineyards, were in proximity withthe house, while the olive grovesand grain fields were further out, inconcentric rings of decreasing labour

intensity and culture, finally reaching the open countryside andwoodland. But before the woodlanditself came mortarless walls built of stones extracted from the fields,unplowed land and fields leftuncultivated, inevitablyreappropriated by the woods. Whether consciously or not, adwindling number of inhabitants anda growing number of tourists seeks the Chianti’s genius loci, thatbalance between the power ofnature and the wisdom of man, assuggested in this brochure: abalance between nature, culture andcultivation. Herein lies the subtleharmony of the Chianti.

Alessandro Falassi


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is a village of vineyards. From atop the hill Radda wasfounded on in the Middle Ages, between the Arbia and Pesarivers, the view extends over what seems like an endless sea of vineyards. Radda opens onto a paradise for agriculturaltourism with a myriad of possibilities that ranges fromtastefully furnished apartments to excursions on horseback orby mountain bike to art exhibits (we must not leave outPievasciata, which belongs to the municipality ofCastelnuovo Berardenga and hosts the Parco Sculture delChianti) and antique shows. The heart of the town isdominated by remnants of the original castle, and the towersthat once rose from the city walls have been transformedinto houses over the centuries. Piazza Ferrucci is named afterthe Florentine captain who defended his republic from attack by Charles V and went on to become the podestà ofRadda. In this square we find the Palazzo Pretorio which stillbears podestà crests and the church of San Niccolò, whichstill displays its original Romanesque design in spite of heavy remodelling in the last century. The view over thenarrow, winding streets in the historical centre and thegardens delimited by mortarless walls should not be missed(Radda was chosen first as one of three capitals and then as the general capital of the Chianti League in 1384, whenthe Florentines equipped it with fortifications which are still visible in the circuit of walls but especially in the shapeof the Medieval centre). This is where you perceive the true essence of the Chianti: agriculture takes the form oflandscape design in a natural organisation of people and objects. Only Radda could have served as the home ofthe Fondazione per la tutela del territorio del Chianti Classicowhich will be housed in the monastery of Santa Maria aPrato located just outside the town walls. The convent church


27Radicofani

(the entire monastery has been retired from religiousfunctions and is now undergoing restoration) has yielded apolyptich by Neri di Bicci of rare beauty. But Radda offers more to visitors: a vault-covered street running alongthe southern edge of the town, known as the Ghiacciaia delGranduca is a unique structure protected by the north-facingwalls that was used to produce the ice necessary to preserve the precious agricultural products that have alwaysbeen responsible for the town’s livelihood. This town is full ofaccommodation possibilities and genuine culinary inspirations.It also serves as a starting point for three short itineraries ofparticular interest. One leads north-west, another north-eastand the last southward, but all three offer historical andnatural attractions. The first heads toward the fortified villageCastello di Volpaia. But prior to arriving, in fact just a fewkilometres outside the town of Radda, it is advisable to firstturn left for the Romanesque parish church of Santa MariaNovella. Records date this church back to the year 1000. It is surrounded by lush gardens and a museum containingworks of Medieval gold smithing and 16th-century stainedglass windows from the workshop of Santi Buglioli. Retracing our steps, the next stop is Volpaia. The only part ofthe original castle that has survived is the tower, whichoverlooks a tiny square, and the village itself, which is a trueMedieval gem. The dirt road to the left of the tower leadsthrough holm oaks to Panzano (a picturesque Medievalvillage) in Florentine territory and then bends back towardSiena, passing through the tiny but worthwhile hamlet ofLucarelli. The second itinerary leads from Radda to Piand’Albola, passing in the midst of vineyards and finally leading up a sudden but gracious slope to the Renaissancehamlet of Albola, once property of the powerful Acciaioli


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family and now beautifully restored to its 15th-centurysplendour. From here, three more kilometres of gravel road leadto the actual Castello d’Albola. Finally, the third itinerary followsthe Traversa Chiantigiana road and leads to the Castello di Ama,once an important military outpost later transformed into apatrician dwelling, and the hamlet of Lecchi, a late-medievalarchitectural treasure. Any trip this way must stop at the Pieve diSan Polo in Rosso, although its private ownership means that itis not always open to the public. Its impressive fortified structure(the church is surrounded by a circuit of walls) is graced with14th-century Sienese frescoes in the nave of the church thatillustrate episodes from the life of Christ. While travelling alongthe Traversa road, we first encounter the roadside chapeldedicated to San Michele a Casanova with its truly noteworthyfrescoes, and then the Medieval village of Adine, which is alsoprivate now. But one more “little capital” has eluded us thus far: Gaiole. In order to get there from Radda, first proceed easton the road for Badia a Coltibuono. These six kilometres ingradual ascent begin with two kilometres on the Statale 429road and then, on the right, is a link to the Statale 408 road.First we encounter the monumental Villa Vistarenni, built in themid-1500s by the powerful Florentine Strozzi family. The presentstuccoed façade was commissioned by the Sidney Sonninofamily at the beginning of the 1900s. From Vistarenni we headback to Badia a Coltibuono. This abbey, whose name invokes afruitful harvest, was a Vallombrosan order cenoby (the vowstaken by the monks bound them to living off the land) builtaccording to the will of the founder of the order, San GiovanniGualberto, just after the year 1000. While the cloister is nowprivate property, the beautiful church of San Lorenzo may still beadmired. The high plain of Badia offers a panorama which isunparalleled for its harmony and the geometric patterns created by the layout of the crops.

Badia a Coltibuono

Gaiole in Chianti


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THE MARKETPLACE OF THE CHURCHES JOYFUL GAIOLE

While descending hairpin curves, an opening in a centuries-old woodland looks out over Gaiole in Chianti, which lies justfive kilometres from Coltibuono on the Statale 408 road.Unlike the other two capitals of the Chianti League whichwere founded in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries fordefensive purposes, Gaiole has always been a commercialcentre. It was first a market locality (in the Chiantiagricultural and commercial centres have always beennoteworthy not only economically and socially, but also fortheir architecture and urban plan) that served the needs ofthe surrounding castles. This explains why the heart ofGaiole (which is currently an important area for theproduction of Cinta senese cold meats) is a cross between asquare and a street: via Ricasoli, where the local market isstill regularly held. A large glazed ceramic tablet at thebeginning of via Ricasoli indicates the most prominentcastles and Romanesque parish churches in the area, and theitineraries for reaching them. Gaiole tempts visitors withshops proffering precious foodstuffs and high-qualityaccomodation, in addition to its enchanting houses, riverbanks and urban furnishings that hark back to its origins as aMedieval marketplace. These origins place it at the centre of a number of worthwhile itineraries. The most memorableof these leads to the fortified parish church of Santa Maria di Spaltenna. Built in the 12th century, it is flanked by a belltower that looks more like a defensive tower and a conventcloister which now accommodates visitors. The nameSpaltenna is of clear Etruscan origins. From here, a road onthe left continues uphill to the village of Vertine, whichshould not be missed. This fortified settlement was founded


30

in the mid-10th century and built in a spiral around thecentral fortress. It is now being completely restored, but itslayout has remained unchanged for twelve centuries! We enter the village through an impressive north-facing citygate that leads into the helix of narrow streets, eventuallyreaching the church of San Bartolomeo. Although it has beenlargely rebuilt, it has maintained its original 14th-centurylayout. Inside, the walls are still adorned with fragments of a15th-century fresco illustrating episodes from the NewTestament. From Vertine back down to Gaiole and back onthe Statale 408 road, we are now ready to discover the last wedge of the Sienese Chianti.As we travel along the bed of the Mastellone stream whichpasses through Gaiole, we reach the crossroads for theCastello di Meleto. This castle’s two round towers on its westside and irregular circuit of walls make it unforgettable. It was a Florentine outpost in the heart of Sienese territory,built to protect Gaiole and its hinterland in the mid-1200s.The Ricasoli family surrounded it with woodland, creating animpressive vantage point from which to watch over the roadleading to San Martino. Back on road 408, three kilometressouthbound bring us to the crossroads for Brolio. This is ahighlight not to be missed, worthwhile even if only admiredfrom outside, as hairpin turns wind through a centuries-oldwoods of rare tree varieties. A short stop must be made in the 14th-century chapel of San Jacopo which also servesas the Ricasoli family mausoleum. It was at this castle thatthe “Iron Baron” Bettino Ricasoli formulated the recipe formodern-day Chianti (which was essentially adopted whenoutlining the DOC criteria, and later somewhat modified),making Brolio an institution for the Chianti. Undoubtedly,Ricasoli’s writings (conserved partly in the Archivio di Stato

Montalto


31

and partly in the Accademia dei Georgofili in Florence)represent a milestone in agricultural practice and moderneconomics. The Statale 484 road encircles the woodlands ofthe castle, eventually reaching Castelnuovo Berardenga, the fourth capital of the Sienese Chianti. At about half way, on the left, a lovely amphitheatre ofvineyards introduces the village of San Gusmè, a trulypleasant discovery. It has remained practically unchanged for800 years and esconces a splendid patrician villa surrounded by an ancient park. The brick-paved streets exude the atmosphere of bygonetimes and the inebriating scent of the countryside as werediscover our ancient rural origins in this undeniable hiddentreasure of the Sienese Chianti. Leaving San Gusmè behind,the road once again runs in the midst of vineyards (thefeeling that we are surrounded by one big wine estate helpsus comprehend how a bottle can contain such an exquisitesynthesis of nature and culture) dotted with votive altars and nestled among cypresses, olive trees, hamletsbuilt of brick and stone and yet more castles, such as Bossi,and villas such as Arceno. But here the horizon begins tomute hues, as the dark green of the Chianti borders the pearly luminescence of the Crete.

….AND BEHOLD SIENA THE BERARDENGA FAIR

The changing panorama announces the proximity ofCastelnuovo Berardenga. We are at the edge of the Chianticlassico territory, but we are still in the heart of the SieneseChianti. Castelnuovo has been witness to the famous battleof Montaperti, a turning point in Sienese history: in 1260 this was where the Florentine forces lost to the Republic of

Certosa di Pontignano


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Siena. But prior to hosting this historic confrontation, from800 onwards, this was also the capital of the TerraBerardinga, a feudal holding of strategic importance foundedby Beherard, a noble Frank. After the battle of Montaperti,the Sienese Republic decided to strenghten this outpost withnew fortifications (hence the name Castelnuovo) which were never carried out. It would seem that this bit of the Chianti was destined to harbour the cultivation of peace and prosperity rather than miltary conflict. As we have seen, in the Chianti human vicissitudes leavetheir mark. In Fonterutoli we have encountered Longobardnobility, in Gaiole Etruscan excellence, in Castellina Romanprosperity, and here to the south we have discovered Frank knights. We might say that the layering of subsequentcultures has given this land the characteristics we enjoytoday. Instead of creating a sort of atavic melting pot, thevariety of uses this land has undergone has produced asingle, unique profile of a land and its inhabitants. A stop in Castelnuovo Berardenga must necessarily includeVilla Chigi Saracini, with its unsurpassed elegance (the nearby chapel is particularly worthwhile) enhanced by a harmonious giardino all’italiana, but especially by animpressive 19th-century botanical garden. In the mid-1900s Count Guido Chigi Saracini sought to makethe villa even more charming. Being an ardent lover ofmusic, (he was founder of the Accademia Chigiana di Siena,one of Italy’s foremost musical institutions) he commissionedVico Consorti to sculpt stone busts of history’s greatestmusicians. Castelnuovo Berardenga is worth exploring for its well-keptstreets, the precious fountain in the main square and anumber of memorable restaurants that make satisfying one’sappetite good for both body and soul. This village marks an end point, because it represents the


latest version of the Chianti: a quiet, suave place imbuedwith cultural harmony.This is a place to be at sunset when the west wind rushes infrom the Etruscan coast and tousles the silver mane of the olive trees, when the last crimson ray paints the vineyards and illuminates the ruby glass of Chianti heldhigh in thanks while the eyes take in the idyllic horizon. And behold Siena.

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Fields and vineyards, isolatedvillages and roads that follow thejoyful morphology of a reservedland proud of its pedigree: this is how cyclists venturing into thisworld see the Chianti, driven bytheir desire for unforgettable roadsfree of engine noise. Cyclists, orrather cycle tourists, are reserved,old-fashioned pioneers that seek to be cradled by the curves of a land that offers uniquepedalling sensations in a laid-backatmosphere. The land rises and falls, but he whotravels without haste knows how to pedal away without challenginggravity, thus discovering a stretch of Sienese countryside where a cycling holiday perfectly conformsto the rhythm of the good life. In the Chianti pedalling means alsoappreciating leisurely stops in thecountry for a good glass of wine.Indeed, pioneering cyclists have the benefit of enjoying this land first-hand and enjoying its actual fruits rather than someabstract label.

The Chianti can even transformcycling into a cultural event. Such isthe case of L’Eroica, a rally throughthis land. Invented and sponsoredby the Associazione Parco Ciclisticodel Chianti, the Eroica rally is much more important for the spiritthat inspired it than for the rankingof its participants.Even if only for a day, Gaiolebecomes its previous self. The main square is filled withcraftsmen, from blacksmiths to shoecobblers, while Pippo, 300 kilos of Cinta senese swine, strollsamong the crowd. With l’Eroica,cycling assumes its original natureand delves back into a past riddledwith dust, mud, fatigue andadventure – a far cry from today’scycling, all technology andpharmaceuticals. Race day is a true celebration ofsporting culture clothed in a displayof traditions that is increasinglypopular due to its unique nature. As if in a dream, the cycling that mesmerised all of Italy caughtup in the rivalry between Coppi

and Bartali comes back to life, andtrue cyclists on vintage bicyclestake the stage, in wool jerseys andwith inner tubes slung over their shoulder. Today’s heroes arenot famous names: Luciano Berruti,Ermes Leonardi and DavidMaddalena. They are diehardcyclists and collectors who pedal inthe third millenium but have strong,old-fashioned spirits. The Chianti’sdirt roads are the main attraction,representing a truly human meansof travel in a setting decidedlysuited to impassioned cyclists.L’Eroica foresees three itineraries,two of which extremely challenging(200 and 145 km) for well-trainedcyclists, and one somewhat easier(about 70 km) for less athleticcyclists. Mountain bikes orcontemporary racing cycles are notpermitted. The point is to relive the past on vintage bicycles, and the cyclists keep in spirit withtheir garb as well. The “heroic”participants are followed by aparade of vintage cars andmotorcycles. The event is generally

held on the last weekend ofSeptember, in unison with thetraditional grape-harvest ritual.There is also a number ofassociated events, such as a displayof “over 50” bicycles and aphotographic exhibit on old-timecycling that undoubtedly reinforcesthe spirit of the rally and transformsthe main square of Gaiole into acosy meeting place. A recentaddition is a collaboration withl’Associazione nazionale Città delVino, which parallels these twodays of cycling culture with theappreciation of wine and all elsethat makes this land so unique.Whether as a participant or aspectator, l’Eroica is not to bemissed. For more information: ParcoCiclistico del Chianti, c/o UfficioTuristico, via Casabianca, 53013Gaiole in Chianti; tel. 0577749411.

Enrico Caracciolo

Pedal l ing down country roads

i n p ra i se of s lowness


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Pieve di Santa Maria Novella


Parco Sculture del Chianti (The Chianti Sculpture Park)

a land of beauty

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CONTEMPORARY ART

The Chianti, famous for its orderly vineyards climbing up hillsides, mortarless walls, olive groves and cypress trees, has long been the preferredresidence of artists such as the American painter George d'Almeida, Leo Lionni and Maro Gorki – son of the great Armenian-American painter Arshile Gorky - and Matthew Spender, who as Bernardo Bertolucci once said, “Spends the morning tending the land on his Chiantiestate and in the afternoon retires to his hayloft studio to paint”.These are not simply artists, but ardent defenders of a culture deeply rooted in this land, ready to fight “for the quality of a wine as red anddense as blood shed in the war for independence” and in the battle of Montaperti or for the safeguarding of this landscape from unsightlyconstruction.This intertwining of life and art fascinates and attracts illustrious guests such as Sir Harold Acton, who in his Memorie di un esteta confessedthat he had discovered his love for beauty, the "vital essence that pervades the universe" while travelling along the Statale 408 road from Siena to Gaiole. The glossy myth of Chiantishire has been set in stone by the English writer John Mortimer, with his Summer's Lease, subsequently transformedinto a TV mystery shown on the BBC and Bertolucci’s film Io Ballo da sola, inspired by the lives of a famous artist couple immersed in art,nature and conviviality, accompanied by worldly gatherings in prestigious homes attended by the likes of Sir Alister Marquis of Londonderry,

37Radda in Chianti


Tony Blair, Harold Acton and John Pope-Hennessy, ex-director of the British Museum. The Chianti first encountered contemporary art in 1959,when Conte Guido Chigi Saracini, the founder of the Accademia Chigiana, commissioned Vico Consorti to make sculptures for the garden of his villa in Castelnuovo Berardenga. In the park designed by Agostino Fantastici in the first half of the 19th century, Saracini desired to createan autobiographical environment that reflected his love for music, from Chopin to Boito.This fertile cultural terrain has over the years given rise to public and private projects that have involved a multitude of artists experimentingnew forms of cultural interaction with this land. The most ambitious of these, involving both the Florentine and Sienese areas of the Chianti, is the biannual exhibit of contemporary art knownas Tusciaelecta, this year in its fourth edition. This exhibit covers a number of municipalities and “explores a plausible model for redefining the landscape and urban settlements through the execution of contemporary works throughout the territory”. The artists chosen by the curatorare invited to explore this land and design “site-specific” projects that interact with input from the scenario itself and from a mixed audience made up of local resisdents, tourists and practitioners in the field. The outcome is more than art and nature: this is most importantlypublic art aimed at activating a thought process. The themes addressed may directly involve man’s relationship with the site in question or offer occasions for social encounter and greater public use of the spaces designed by the artists. In this task municipal administrations are aided by private parties that enthusiastically support valid opportunities for the discovery ofcontemporary art through esthetically-guided exploitation of works and space, in a land already full of monuments to the past.The Parco Sculture del Chianti was born of the dream of Piero Giadrossi (its director) and comprises 23 works spread over 13 hectares of

38 San Polo


woodland bordering the old brickworks in Pievasciata. Twenty-four artists were invited to visit the exhibition space and create site-specific works that establish a direct relationship with their setting.Set in a typical Sienese Chianti stand of woodland, a circular course leads to installations and sculptures in iron, wood, glass, stone, marble, steel, fiberglass and other materials that either blend in or stand out with respect to their surroundings.Of the various works present, we might mention “The Blue Bridge” by the Danish artist Ursula Reuter Christiansen, the other glass sculpture,entitled “Energy” by the Greek Costa Varotsos, “ Rainbow Crash” by Federica Marangoni and more works by artists from the world over.This desire to invent new ways of interpreting the landscape and establishing a strong link with the land lies at the basis of the ambitiousprojects for the Parco, which is to be endowed with a visitors’ centre and amphitheatre for open-air events and temporary exhibits incollaboration with Italian and foreign art museums and galleries. The Castello di Ama has undertaken a noteworthy project of pure sponsorship:under the artistic direction of Galleria Continua in San Gimignano, starting in 2000, every year it has invited a renowned international artist (in chronological order, Pistoletto, Buren and Paolini) to create a permanent work in direct contact with the local wine-making culture to ameliorate the already-rich historical and cultural heritage of the estate.

Leonardo Scelfo

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Parco Sculture del Chianti


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fest iv i t ies in the chiant i

The farm culture that has drunk deeply of the Chianti’s vital lymph,and most amply of the wine that accompanies every celebration,

is deeply rooted in the passing of the seasons that guidesagriculture and religious festivities. Thus, when there was work to

be done, festivities alternated with periods of repose and everyvillage celebrated moments of shared joy with fairs and markets,

but also with processions, singing, courtship and storytelling.Even today following a procession, accompanying a band, singingtraditional songs and tasting the fruits of this good land together

outdoors are all possible in a myriad of interesting local festivitiesthroughout the Chianti. Fairs, food festivals and religious festivals

are equally attended by locals and outsiders attracted by theenthusiasm that surrounds them. In addition to traditional festivities,

the Chianti Festival presents readings, dance, music, drama andcomedy. For ten days this festival permeates the historical centres

and squares of the Sienese Chianti, presenting original worksproduced through the combined efforts of internationally famous

artists with local artistic workshops. Thus these festivities ensure that the Chianti, already endowed with a solid identity and

rich with traditions, vibrates with activity all year long.


Chianti FestivalJulywww.chiantifestival.com

Chianti d’AutunnoNovemberwww.chiantidautunno.it

CASTELLINA IN CHIANTI

PentecostSaturday and Sunday ofPentecost

Sagra del Cocomero(Watermelon festival)24 August

CASTELNUOVO BERARDENGA

Bruscello di CastelnuovoBerardengaJune

Passato e PresenteCasettaEnd of August – beginning ofSeptember

Festa del Luca CavaSan GusmèMid-September

Festa dell’Uva (Grapefestival)VagliagliSettembre

Festa dell’Olio (Olive oilfestival)PianellaNovember

GAIOLE IN CHIANTI

Festa Medievale (Medievalfestival)VertineSeptember

Festa a BarbischioSeptember

Festa della BruschettaMontiSeptember

La Rana d’OroSan SanoSeptember

L’EroicaSeptember

RADDA IN CHIANTI

Radda nel BicchiereJune

Festa di San LorenzoVolpaia10 August

Festa del PerdonoFinal weekend of August

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to f ind out more

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These phone numbers and addresses can provide useful information and suggestions prior to your departure

and during your trip into the heart of the Chianti.


Borgo di Vertine

Informazioni TuristicheAPT SienaPiazza del Campo 56Tel. 0577 280551Fax 0577 [email protected]

CASTELLINA IN CHIANTI

Centro Servizi TuristiciIn ChiantiVia Ferruccio 40Tel. and Fax 0577 [email protected]

CASTELNUOVO BERARDENGA

Ufficio Turistico ComunaleVia del Chianti 61Tel. and Fax 0577 [email protected]

Ufficio di accoglienza e informazione turisticaLoc. Acqua BorraTel. 0577 365800Fax 0577 364940

GAIOLE IN CHIANTI

Informazioni TuristicheVia G. Galilei 11Tel. and Fax 0577 [email protected]

RADDA IN CHIANTI

Ufficio Informazioni Pro LocoPiazza CastelloTel. and Fax 0577 [email protected]

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Created byAPT Siena

The municipalities of:Castellina in Chianti

Castelnuovo BerardengaGaiole in ChiantiRadda in Chianti

A publication by APT SIENA

Head editorLuigina Benci

Written byCarlo Cambi

Petra CarsettiWith special thanks to

Filippo Bartolotta Enrico Caracciolo

Alessandro FalassiLeonardo Scelfo

Translated byMarylin Kies

Photography byEnrico Caracciolo, Bruno Bruchi,

Archivio Rabatti e Domingie,Archivio Parco Sculture del Chianti

Cover photo by Bruno Bruchi

Stampa Nidiaci Grafiche San Gimignano

Terre di Siena


80.000/2007


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