Monti del Chianti

Dec 5

Written by **Matej Gašperič**

Architect

If you have some time to spare, but do not exactly have an idea where to go, Tuscany is a perfect destinations. With its beautiful nature, rich history magnificent architecture and excellent cuisine, it never disappoints. So at the last days of autumn, to avoid winter for a while longer, we hit the road toward the famous Monti del Chianti (Mountains of Chianti).

Salvadonica at sunrise…

*Early morning find at the grape fields of Salvadonica estate.*

… and at sunset

Places to stay are to us, as important as any other aspect of travel… if not even more. We are therefore always trying to pick some beautiful, tranquil and inspiring accommodations with pleasant and genuinely kind and generous staff.

I am glad that, working for the hospitality business, my @alenka.repic has a true gift of finding just such places.

For this autumn trip to Tuscany, she managed to find a beautiful country estate Salvadonica.

Conveniently located in between Florence and Siena, it proved to be a perfect starting point for our daily trips to small villages around and a relieving returning point after days full of impressions.

San Gimignano

The race about ‘who has a taller one’ is definitely not an invention of the last few centuries.

Throughout 12th and 13th century the dominating families of San Gimignano - Guelphs and Ghibellines - has been basically running the same competition that at the end resulted in not less than 72 !! towers some if them rising up to 70m.

Volterra

Radda in Chianti

Volpaia

Off the beaten track, a small village Volpaia features one of the best restaurants in the region.

Siena

Siena, with its inclined and asymmetrical main square was always one of my favourite.

But true treasures are found when one allows oneself to get lost in the small streets away from the masses of tourists.

*Condensed urban tissue of the slopes od Siena.*

Florence

Being there many times, I was inclined to avoid the Florence all together, but then decided against it and pay it a visit anyway.

… a long queue to buy i biglietti, an even longer queue to enter, struggling with the app to present a so called Green Pass (I wonder which fracking PR genius came up with so stupid and improper name for vaccine certificate), leaving the personal backpack at the reception, submitting yourself to body search, metal detector and body temperature measuring,…

Well, I do not think so.

Thank you, but no thank you.

I am glad that I have had an opportunity to visit marvelous Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in some distant times long time past, when things were different.

Now days, I prefer to stay outside… where the life is.

Palladio

On our way back, we stopped to pay a visit to one of the gems of architecture – Palladio’s famous Villa Rotonda.

This sight brought back many dear memories - us - students - sitting on the soft grass at premises... sketching, drawing, studying the composition and proportions.

Decades have passed since, but I could still remember and draw all that out of my head - such is the power of a thinking hand.