A journey through Chianti

Discovering Tuscany is a lifetime passion. Its many towns and subtle territorial changes make it a fantastic exploration field. So much is offered, both geographically and culturally, in such a limited territory. These areas within Tuscany all preserve their own very distinctive traits. The Val di Chiana, the Val d’Orcia, the Maremma, to name a few, all have their own culture, landscape, and distinctive Tuscan accent.
However, the foremost part of Tuscany undoubtedly is the Chianti. Shaped by centuries of war waging between Siena, Arezzo and Florence, the contemporary Chianti territory does not differ very much from the one originally intended. The provinces of Siena, Florence and Arezzo share portions of the Chianti. Yet again, you may discover distinctive differences within each portion of the Chianti. This fractal-like segmentation of the land should help you understand why so many are fascinated with Chianti and Tuscany in general. The roots of the land are deeply intertwined with those living on it. So you discover that Chianti is still the home of world-famous wine makers like the Antinori that boast an 800 year-old wine making tradition. Just like olive oil producers, the makers of this green gold that echoes the word “Tuscany” on the dining tables of several countries in the world. Not to speak about the fundamental role of Chianti as cradle of art and architecture. It is true, indeed, that if the ideal Renaissance city is Pienza in Val d’Orcia, the commissioner and Pygmalion of “Il Rossellino” was the Pope Pius the Second, a Medici family member from Florence.
And what about cooking traditions? Chianti recipes are very distinctive and clearly depart from different versions of the same dish made in Maremma or Garfagnana. Yet again, you can find different ways of making a simple dish like Pappa al Pomodoro even within Chianti. The Sienese version is very different from the Florentine one!
Discovering Chianti is such a never-ending adventure that a guide, even if only a virtual one, may be useful to guide your steps during your vacation in Tuscany. For more information please take a look at Discover-Chianti.com