Sunday, October 3rd 2004
By minibus:
San Galgano
Wine Tasting in Castellina in Chianti
Return to Pistoia - same hotel | |
Breakfast at the farm, and departure for Pistoia, via San Galgano and the Chianti.
San Galgano is located in a beautiful, wild, and unspoiled area of woods and river valleys. This ruined abbey remains a truly spectacular and unique sight. The nave is open to the sky, the roof destroyed by fire many years past. The abbey, built in the 13th century, has a complicated history of politics, corruption, and greed, which led to its eventual destruction. In the hills above is the chapel of San Galgano, built on the tomb of the saint, where a sword in a stone commemorates his abandonment of war for Christ.
Lunch in a local restaurant.
Departure for Castellina in Chianti.
The Chianti ranks among the most famous wine-producing regions of the world. In this beautiful hilly zone between Florence and Siena, the countryside is dotted with case coloniche, elegant farmhouses built in the eighteenth century, many of which have been restored and now sit grandly on their hilltops surrounded by vineyards. Hills are covered with forests; ruined castles originally part of the Lega del Chianti (the Chianti League) can be seen in the distance, their crumbling glory now just a part of the serene landscape.
Castellina in Chianti is one of the most delightful of all Tuscan hilltop villages - a tiny and lovely spot. Its fortified walls remain intact; small houses are built into and on top of it. This is a beautiful place to taste the wines the region is so famous for, which we will do, while we admire the surrounding countryside.
Departure for Pistoia. Check into the hotel, dinner at a local restaurant.
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