ills, vignards, olive trees, lines of cypress trees…leading where? To the farmhouses, estates and castles much admired all over the world.
In Chianti, a territory in the heart of Tuscany between Florence, Siena, Arezzo and the hills of Pisa, you go to relax, breathe fresh air, taste some good wine and eat genuine food. You can work in peace and quiet, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
From green to ochre, to brown and burgundy, the woods become protagonists of a harmonious and relaxing landscape.
Our first destination is the Castello di Bibbione, lying on the hill of Sant’Angelo in the Florentine part of the Chianti region, in the Val di Pesa. Appearing in manuscripts since 997, it dominates a medieval borough and the ancient houses on the slopes of the hill. In 1511 the castle and farm were bought by Niccolò Machiavelli, for his hunting passion. Today the estate has been transformed into beautiful homes, while respecting the style of the good old times, where you can spend unforgettable moments in the greenery all comforts included.
The Castello di Verrazzano is located a few kilometers away, in the territory of Greve in Chianti. Born as an Etruscan and then Roman settlement, in the 7th century it became the home of the Florentine family Da Verrazzano where, in 1485, the renowned explorer and navigator Giovanni Da Verrazzano was born. He discovered what is today the bay of New York. The castle hosts guests in a farmhouse, a wine bar and tavern where you can enjoy the local wines and foods after having visited the castle.
Castello di Verrazzano
Castello di Bibbione farm
Castello di Bibbione cellar
Montelifré borough
ollowing the road to Gaiole in Chianti is the Castello di Brolio, which dates back to the high Middle Ages. It belongs to the Ricasoli family since 1141. Surrounded by oak and chestnut tree woods, the castle has seen many ages go by. Among the most famous owners is Bettino Ricasoli, known as the “Barone di Ferro”, who was Prime Minister and the first investor of Chianti wine. The Ricasoli wine estate has been active for almost a thousand years and is the most ancient winery in Italy, second in the world. In some periods of the year you can visit the gardens and the Ricasoli collection inside one of the towers, as well as the wine shop and the tavern.
On the way to Pienza you cross Trequanda and find the fortified borough of Montelifré, dominated by the ruins of the old castle that was bombed by Sienese troops in 1527 during the last war between Florence and the Republic of Siena.
You arrive in Pienza, small and bright borough in the Val d’Orcia clinging to the hill-side, a jewel of Tuscany, where you can walk around the 16th century squares and palaces breathing in the fresh air and visiting the shops, full of local products. Not to be missed is the Via dell’Amore that leads you to the road that surrounds the walls of the borough, where you can look at each other in the eyes and then look across to infinity.
