Tuscany Tour in Siena and Chianti Wine Country

Siena: The city has Roman origins and was founded during the reign of Augustus. In Medieval Times it was an obligatory stop along the Via Francigena (important road linking Canterbury, France, Rome and Jerusalem) and thanks to this, it was able to increase trade and economy, becoming one of the richest cities of the Middle Ages. It became a free municipality, guided by a Ghibelline administration, and soon found itself colliding with other neighbouring cities. Very famous is the battle of Montaperti in 1260, where the Ghibelline army of the cities of Pisa, Arezzo, Cortona and above all, Siena, supported by the Emperor, had the best counter to the Guelf army, supported by the Pope, the city of Bologna, San Gimignano, Perugia, Orvieto and above all Florence. It was an epic battle, which marked the supremacy of the republic of Siena on the national and international scene. In what followed, however, the terrible defeat at the battle of Colle Val D’Elsa, and above all the black plague of 1348 which determined a strong crisis and a gradual downsizing of the city for Florence, in which the Senese republic had finally succumbed in the XVI Century. Worthy of mention is the foundation of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena Bank in 1472, which the Vatican used to address, and which today represents the oldest bank in activity in the world.

Don’t miss! Piazza del Campo, Palazzo Pubblico, Fonte Gaia, Torre del Mangia, Cathedral, San Domenico Church

Chianti: the area of the hills of Chianti does not have such well defined borders, but Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, are commonly considered to be part of this area. Over the centuries the area has spread to the area of Panzano and Greve, which in 1972 added to its name, the suffix “in Chianti”. Historically, it is an area lived in since Etruscan times, but is definitely an optimum example of a feudal society of high middle age. There are numerous testimonies of scattered castles in the area, built between the IX and XIII Centuries, to protect the small hamlets and residential areas, on which the surrounding county depended. From municipal times to the renaissance, because of its geographical location, which marked the border between the territories of Siena and Florence, very often the area represented a field of battle and conquest on behalf of both republics, which alternated the control of the region. The area is very famous for the production of the Chianti Classico DOCG, a red wine produced with sangiovese (80 – 100%). This wine has an intense ruby colour and dry taste, is full bodied and velvety, and lends itself very well to further aging.

Don’t miss! Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti