Lee's Tuscan Odyssey: 34. Gaiole-in-Chianti and 'the road of the castles'

In 2001 I came to live in Italy. I had some fun, wrote a journal and this is the blog of my story...

"Tuscany is a state of grace. The countryside is so lovingly designed that the eye sweeps the mountains and valleys without stumbling over a single stone. The lilt of the rolling green hills, the upsurging cypresses, the terraces sculptured by generations that have handled the rocks with skillful tenderness, the fields geometrically juxtaposed as though drawn by a draughtsman for beauty as well as productivity; the battlements of castles on the hills, their tall towers standing grey-blue and golden tan among the forest of trees, the air of such clarity that every sod of earth stands out in such dazzling detail. The fields ripening with barley and oats, beans and beets. The grape-heavy vines espaliered between the horizontal branches of silver-green olive trees, composing orchards of webbed design, rich in intimation of wine, olive oil and lacy-leaf poetry. Tuscany untied the knots in a man's intestines, wiped out the ills of the world. Italy is the garden of Europe, Tuscany is the garden of Italy, Florence is the flower of Tuscany." Irving Stone from my favourite book " The Agony and the Ecstacy" A fictional biography of Michelangelo

Gaiole is one of the main towns of the Chianti region and one that we haven't visited yet.

Today we change that as we have a work-free late morning and early afternoon. It's a lovely sunny morning and the hour's drive not too much of an effort, especially considering the scenery!

Gaiole is one of Chianti's smaller towns and while it is nicely situated on two small rivers, there isn't really much to it, but on the way in we spot a very fashionable looking restaurant with some cool looking al-fresco seating.

As it's lunchtime we install ourselves on a table and enjoy a relaxing lunch, that is, until it's interrupted by a huge Alsation, which bounds over the fence and after sniffing around a small poodle, decides to start mauling it! Fortunately the owner follows him over the fence and manages to stop the potential blood bath!

We hastily move on to one of Gaiole's main attractions and that is 'La Via Dei Castelli' or 'the road of the Castles'. There are many Castles in the area, but on one particular short stretch of road, thre are three together.

The most impressive of these and dating from the 13th century is the Castello di Meleto, with its two cyclindrical towers, definitely one of the most Castle-like looking structures.

We bump into one of Annette's American classmates, whose studying Italian with her at the moment. She's doing some summer work at the castle.

We drive a bit further on and find Spaltenna, which is more of a curch than a castle. Built on an Etruscan site in 1115.

It's a pretty, but simple structure and next door is a granary, cellar and barns.

Our final destination for the day is Vertine. Here there is a small hamlet which dates to 1013, so the oldest of the three and once belonging to the Ricasoli family, apparently famous in these parts.

We enjoy a pleasant stroll here, soaking up the history and charm of these ancient buildings, certainly there's still much to learn about our new surroundings...

(Original journal entry 21/5/02)

In 2001 I came to live in Italy. I had some fun, wrote a journal and this is the blog of my story...

34. Gaiole-in-Chianti and 'the road of the castles'

No comments: