Thursday, August 18th, 2022 - Greve in Chianti, Montefioralle, and San Gimignano, Tuscany

 

Florence American Cemetery

We had arranged to spend a day with Giovanni from 'The Tuscan Wanderer', another recommendation from my neighbor's expat friend in Lucca. https://www.thetuscanwanderer.com/. He had suggested that we visit a few Tuscan towns, so I was a little surprised when he pulled into this cemetery near Florence as our first stop.

The Wall of the Missing

Normally we might have taken just a brief look, but Robyn had learned only a few days prior, from her aunt, Barbara Peeples, that there was a cemetery near Florence which paid tribute to a young man who was from Conneaut, Ohio where the Lamp family was from. We knew of him as Jimmy Lord, but his proper name was James R. Lord. I think he may have been a remote cousin. He was shot down in Italy in the 2nd World War and was listed as missing. Empowered by this information the girls trekked off to look for his name.

A Panel From The Wall, of the Missing

 They were pretty pleased to see that this was the place where his service and loss was being honored. The little metal rosette next to his name is the acknowledgement that he is no longer missing. His plane was recovered in 2018 and his remains were sent sent back to Conneaut where ceremonies were held in 2019.  His sacrifice was honored with a full military burial. This was an unexpected start to the day, especially when the staff at the site were able to give us additional information about him.

Greve en Chianti

Our first village was Greve en Chianti, and almost the minute we arrived, so did some very heavy rain. It also came with strong winds as well and caused damage in quite a few places in the area.

Macelleria Falorni

However, our first destination was indoors, so we managed to stay on track and stay dry. The venue was a most astounding butcher shop/deli, Antica Macelleria Falorni that has been in business since 1806. In addition to being an active shop selling real food, it was a combination of a warehouse and museum in its displays.

 (Note, Vegans and vegetarians might want to skip some of the following photos, as it is lots of meat!) 

Greeted with a Wild Boar 

One of the Tuscan specialties we tried in Lucca was wild boar or cinghiale. It was hard for me to believe that the animals are not raised domestically for market, but I was assured that they really do live wild and are hunted, so it was a little unnerving to be greeted at this shop with a wild boar head. It seems they are a pest, especially in the vineyards, so having a commercial outlet for them is probably beneficial to farmers. 

The Most Obvious Offering was Some Form of Cured Pork.

In addition to an awful amount of meat, the store had a lot of butcher related antiques. I was struck by the irony of this very cute porcelain piglet staring with an evil eye at the meat grinder! Ouch!

Prosciutto and Pancetta, Maybe Some Speck?

It's hard to describe what it's like being in a cellar with nothing but varieties of ham cuts spread out in such an artistic fashion! Fortunately, I like to eat these cuts, but the quantities were astonishing! 

Salami and Sausage

But how about a ceiling full of salami and sausage instead?! It was a little bizarre that the intensity of the storm above led to the power going out for several minutes while I was in this store, but happily there were no hauntings!

Statue of Giovanni da Verrazzano in Greve en Chianti

Greve in Chianti was the home of explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, who was the first European to explore the Atlantic coast of North America. He sailed between Florida and New Brunswick in 1524, for the French King. He had an unfortunate ending in Guadalupe 1n 1528. He was killed and eaten by cannibals there! 

(Sorry, this is becoming pretty gory, isn't it!)

Montefioralle

We stayed out of the rain a while, enjoyed a cappuccino and pastry in a nearby café, but the weather Gods were kind to us, as it stayed dry the remainder of the day. It was also a blessing as it had chased tourists out of this charming nearby town that we visited next - Montefioralle.

Montefioralle

It was a delight to walk the freshly washed streets of this small town, population around 60! These  streets have a history going back to AD 931 when the original fortified monastery was built by a German monk. It was also an important stronghold in the wars between Siena and Florence during  the 13th and 15th centuries.

The Home Of the Vespucci Family in Montefioralle

One of the houses in Montefioralle belonged to the Vespucci family, who were related to Amerigo Vespucci, another consequential Italian explorer of his day. Google is unclear about whether Amerigo was actually born here - citing Florence as his birth place. However, Florence is less than 18 miles away, so the local's assertion that this was his home could be true. He is the person from whom the name 'America' was derived from the Latinized version of his name - Americus Vesputius. He made several explorations across the Atlantic between 1497 and 1504, for first the Spanish and then the Portuguese.  Amerigo discerned that the West Indies were not connected to Asia as Columbus had hoped, but was one connected continent, north and south, that he called the 'New World'. Not long after, cartographers attached his name to the continent, although there are others who claim other origins of the name. Here is a link if you want more detail on it. https://www.scienceabc.com/social-science/how-did-america-get-its-name.html

Vespucci Family Crest

Notice that the Vespucci family crest has the image of many wasps on it. The Italian word for wasp is 'vespa' and we were told that the name Vespucci is derived from it. I don't know how the wasp became associated with this family of merchants - did they have a nasty sting? Or, like the small motorcycle of the same name, did they just buzz a lot? Your guess is as good as mine.

Montefioralle

There were graceful arches revealing greenery beyond....

Montefioralle

.... lovely greenery in people's windows.....

Montefioralle

..... and yet another green courtyard!

Montefioralle

I am a lover of the visual mystery doors present, so I'll indulge myself with this one, as I really like the little blue bike that goes with it. They also have their own water fountain outside their door. The number of mail boxes suggests that it has apartments within.

Montefioralle

My final photographic indulgence from here is this mail box. It reveals the struggle it sometimes takes to hold these old walls together, but creates a lovely soft contrast of the plaster/cement against the mottled and rough rocks.

Vineyards of Chianti

 We were in wine country and the rolling hills were covered with vines. Giovanni had arranged a wine tasting and lunch at for us at a winery in the center of the Chianti region.

Courtyard at Fattoria Sant'Appiano (Photo by Sarah Lamp)

The winery, Fattoria Sant'Appiano, was set on a hillside and we were shown around their wine cellar, before settling into lunch.

Oak Barrels at Sant'Appiano

There was a quiet beauty to the oak barrels and the dusty smell of the wood and wine had an almost religious feel to it.

Dusty Cellar Display at Sant'Appiano (Photo by Sarah Lamp)

The winery did a nice job of leaving little nooks and crannies that looked as if they had never been dusted! While they are most likely functional storage for aging the bottled wines, they were quite picturesque. 

Display of Wines at Sant'Apppiano

I was surprised that the wines were all sold in straight, tall bottles without the blanched straw that I've always associated with a Chianti wine. I learnt online that the straw is called a 'fiasco', which is odd. The original bottles were blown glass with rounded bottoms, so I guess it would be a fiasco if they were all rolling around without the covering! It was the cheapest way to make the bottles. The straw was used to allow the round-bottomed bottles to stand up, as well as giving them protection for shipping. 

Display of Grass Wrapped Bottles at Sant'Appiano Winery (Photo by Sarah Lamp)

At least they did have a display of the traditional bottles, even though they were empty, and you can see how nicely they nestle together with the protection from the straw wrapping.

Vats of Wine, Sant'Appiano

We had a lovely lunch, tasted some wines and a few bottles made it back to the US in suitcases!

San Gimignano

Our next and final destination for the day was San Gimignano, otherwise known as the 'Manhattan of Tuscany'. It became independent in AD 1199 and for the next several centuries, its wealthy residents built towers to live in, as status symbols, representing their wealth and power. At one time there were 74 towers, but now only 14 remain standing.

San Gimignano Was a Popular Spot!

Oh, my! We were not the only people visiting on this afternoon that had become quite hot! The tourist density was many times worse than Lucca! Perhaps it's the curse of being listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Chocolate Waterfall at Nino and Friends, San Gimignano

We discovered a chocolate store with an amazing chocolate waterfall and a few of their sweet products ended up in our bags, too.

San Gimignano

Fortunately, once one got off the main shopping streets, the crowds were not so bad (like Lucca). Giovanni had suggested a nice viewpoint to look for.

Olive Groves Near San Gimignano

Here, there was more evidence of olive groves and fruit trees than wine, but whatever is being grown, it appears healthy and seems to taste terrific!

Narrow Streets of San Gimignano

Like Lucca, there were also lovely narrow streets with arches that provide lovely frames for photos.

Wine Window, San Gimignano

We were also quite pleased to find a wine window, as we were leaving, and felt very clever that we were able to identify what it was.

Cat in San Gimignano

Life is good when one can find a cat to pet. Sarah and Robyn were pleased.....

Restaurant Window, San Gimignano

.... and I liked this little reminder of Asia in a restaurant window.

Towers of San Gimignano

It was time to move on. It is a lovely town, but Shhh, don't tell any one about it, as there are too many people visiting already!

Typical Tuscan Landscape

This had been a wonderful glimpse of the Tuscan countryside. The area has a deep history - its name derives from the Etruscans, a civilization that goes back to the 6th Century BC. We loved the tall cypress trees that line many of the roads and surround the estates.

An Etruscan-Looking Owl

This little terra cotta owl was near Montefioralle. Although he has wings, he probably won't be flying away, but even without our own wings, we had other places to fly to. Not long after this trip, Robyn flew back to Williamsburg, Virginia, to sing the role of Mimi in Puccini's La Boheme and Sarah and I were headed to Copenhagen for a week.

So keep your eyes peeled for the next adventure.