Greve in Chianti

Spring is the perfect time to drive through gorgeous Tuscany.  Any of the roads south of Florence towards Siena take you through postcard scenes.  The scenery is actually better than the postcards.

We set off to drive down from Florence towards Asciano, a tiny village in the hills south of Siena.  The town itself is not the goal.  There is a road that travels along the tops of hills and offers 360 degree views of glorious green Tuscany.  We have also done this trip in autumn, when it is beautiful in a different way.  On the last trip we spotted pheasant running through the fields.  Unfortunately we also saw a hunter with  a gun and a dog following them.

The first stop was Greve in Chianti about 20 kilometres south of Florence.  It has an unusual triangular piazza, Piazza Matteotti, dominated by a statue of its most famous citizen, Giovanni da Verrazzano.  You may know the name from the Verrazzano Narrows bridge in New York.  Giovanni discovered Hudson Bay – New York harbour.

The piazza is lined with porticoes and has plenty of pretty shops and cafes to keep visitors busy.  For me,the most interesting shop is Macelleria Falorni, a butcher renowned throughout Tuscany for its  prime quality meat.  The best of this is the traditional cinta senese pork.  The shop has an amazing selection of delicious things to taste and buy.  We have come across the breed of pig before and bought several types of salami and prosciutto to take home.  This shop is a carnivore’s delight.

The area is, of course, famous for Chianti and the local wine is well represented in Greve.  There are several enotecas in town where you can try this very popular wine.

Liz was delighted to find a plate for her wall with the black rooster – Gallo Nero – the symbol for Chianti Classico.  You will find the rooster painted on many things in the area.