Greve in Chianti in Tuscany, the seven wonders to see to live an unforgettable experience by following the tips for visiting the Tuscan city letting yourself be captured by the charm of a timeless city.
Nestled in a valley between the Chianti hills, more or less halfway between Florence and Siena, Greve in Chianti is a welcoming town where you can spend a few relaxing days in the woods, vineyards, olive groves and medieval villages. This village is like a small world that contains many exciting experiences; visiting Greve in Chianti will allow you to discover its Seven Wonders.
Before you even arrive, you can start filling your eyes with breathtaking landscapes whether you come from Florence via the via Chiantigiana, or from Siena via the villages of Gaiole e Castellina in Chianti, whether you come from the highway, exiting at San Giovanni-Figline Valdarno and passing through the Provincial Strata 16. All the roads that lead to this village in the beating heart of Chianti are a spectacle of nature: green and luxuriant woods to which at times the peasants have stolen space to plant a vineyard or olive trees interspersed with stone farmhouses with an ancient yet timeless charm. It is no coincidence that Sting has decided to come and live in this area.
The whole territory is scattered with farms that produce wine and oil, and accommodation facilities of all kinds: the majority are family-run farmhouses and bed and breakfasts.
The square, the beating heart of Greve in Chianti
The country of Greve in Chianti it is very small and gathered around its charming square (piazza Matteotti). The square has a curious triangular shape that culminates with the church on the short side, and is surrounded by a beautiful portico that runs along the two long sides. Under the arcade you will find all kinds of shops, and it is certainly worth spending a morning browsing the various shops. And if you are in Greve on Saturday morning you will have the opportunity to take a tour even among the market stalls local, which happily invade the whole square until lunchtime.
To better face your walk in the square of Greve I suggest you have breakfast at Central Bar, right next to the Giovanni da Verrazzano restaurant. Here you will find a confusing but welcoming genuine family atmosphere because this is the bar where the Grevigiani come to have coffee and to chat.
On the left side of the square (looking at the church) I will point out one well-stocked library, an antique dealer, a ceramic artist, a shop selling wonderful hand-embroidered linen, and a couple of grocery stores where you can buy all kinds of food delights.
On the right side of the square you cannot fail to admire the colorful exhibition of the florist, take a trip to the shop immediately next to it that sells exceptional hand-woven baskets, and above all dive into the arch-note Falorni butcher / butchery. Il Falorni in Greve (and throughout Chianti) is an institution: it produces excellent quality Tuscan cured meats that are known all over the world and I assure you that visiting his shop in Greve in Chianti is a sensory experience that you will not forget.
On the side of the square opposite the church, in the left corner, you will find the country oven. Guys, this place is always super crowded, especially on Saturday mornings, but we can count it among the best sensory experiences that Greve gives us: bread, focaccia and biscuits (the Cantuccini above all) deserve the Oscar. Pass by and their scent will leave you breathless.
I guess shopping has made you hungry: don't worry you can stay in the square to satisfy your peckish. Here you will have more alternatives: if you are in a hurry you can have a snack at Falorni where you can taste a nice platter of mixed cold cuts accompanied with one or more wine tastings (by buying a pre-paid card with amounts of your choice you can taste different types of wines available for guests). If you want to have lunch comfortably seated you can choose the refined one Osteria la Terrazza or the most homemade Trattoria Eating Eating, obviously overlooking the square; in both cases you will be served genuine local food of undisputed quality. In the first case you will find a more refined and experimental menu, in the second a menu closer to tradition. Whatever your choice I guarantee the experience will be up to the gourmet palate.
The Castle of Montefioralle
After lunch how about a nice walk? Then take your car back and follow the signs for the Montefioralle castle: immediately above the town stands this charming medieval hamlet where you can take a short and pleasant walk and take the opportunity to photograph breathtaking views, both of Greve and its valley and of the surrounding hills.
Strolling through the silent alleys of this medieval village is extremely suggestive: original stone slab floors, well-kept houses often enlivened by colorful flowers on the windows, and an atmosphere of other times in an ancient but still inhabited and alive village.
If you are in the mood to wander a little longer, continue beyond the village of Montefioralle setting the destination on the navigator Badia di Passignano where you will find the abbey of San Michele, a monastery set perfectly in nature and, needless to say, surrounded by wonderfully arranged vineyards, so perfect that they seem painted. They are 6/7 kilometers in all but the road is in the countryside so it will take you 15/20 minutes, or even more if you want to stop and photograph the wonderful panorama you will encounter.
Feeling at home at Podere Campriano
In Greve in Chianti there is a special place, near the town center but magically isolated and away from the chaos, where you can literally feel at home. This place is called Podere Campriano, and it is aorganic farm which produces exceptional wine (because it is made with love) and has a small farmhouse that will leave you breathless. The details are all meticulous, the rooms have wonderful wooden and terracotta floors and dry stone walls; the headboards of the beds are made from tree trunks and everything is designed to welcome you with love and attention. In the cellars of the company Every morning breakfast is served with local cold cuts, fresh fruit, bread, jams and cakes all homemade and fresh. But what will bewitch you as it has bewitched me is the warm and genuine welcome of the whole Lapini family who will pamper you and make you feel not guests but a vital part of a large extended family.
At Podere Campriano you can regenerate: you can walk, you can take a guided tour of the company and taste their products, in summer you can relax in the panoramic swimming pool reserved for guests or you can book a Ayurvedic massage that will reconnect you with yourself as you have never experienced before.
Strolling through Chianti: the castle of Volpaia
After a good sleep and a gargantuan breakfast, you are ready to start a new exciting day. In the surroundings of Greve you are spoiled for choice because there are countless enchanting villages to explore: Panzano, Castellina and Gaiole just to name the best known. Here you can stroll pleasantly, go shopping in the many typical shops and enjoy the atmosphere of the past in Chianti calmly, taking all the time you want.
I advise you not to miss the village of Volpaia, a few kilometers from Greve: perched on a hill, it is an enchanting medieval site where you can also visit the beautiful underground cellars and taste the wines of the Volpaia Castle.
Gourmet detour: Butcher Tozzetti
Finally I propose a detour, not to be missed for passionate about meats and cured meats; if you like to eat healthy and genuine and you want to stock up on delicacies to take home you cannot miss the Butcher Tozzetti a Mercatale Val di Pesa. Valfredo and his whole family work with passion in this shop where you can buy the best cuts of meat I have ever seen and all kinds of fine salami. The Tozzetti family personally chooses the meat with which to prepare their sausages in selected farms in the Sienese area and works them with skill in his laboratory: Alessandro is a master in preparing hams, salamis, pancetta and every other delight you can well imagine. Personally I buy from them the meat and cured meats that I have portioned and vacuum packed; I freeze the meat when I get home and I have a good supply for a few months, and the cold cuts also last a long time (at least 4 months). All at the same or lower costs than many shops in Rome (excluding discount stores, of course). You pay for quality, and at the Tozzetti you pay the right amount.
The cellars of Greve in Chianti
Before leaving Chianti and returning to your homes, treat yourself to at least a couple of hours in the last of the seven wonders of Greve: the cellars of Greve in Chianti. They are located between the central square and the Greve stream, in a small square overlooking the back of the COOP supermarket.
Going down an ancient stone staircase you will find yourself in a well-kept underground environment covered with bottles of Tuscan wine and more; here you can taste a hundred types of different wines and buy many more. This wine shop is the best stocked of all Chianti, and it is very pleasant to get lost among the tasting islands, divided by type of wine, and maybe munch on a snack. The cellar is scattered with small wooden tables where you can sit down to collect your tasting notes and decide which wine to buy, if you want (and believe me, you will want it). Everything is impeccably organized and you can ask for assistance from the highly trained dining room staff.
As you will have understood, I am an avid fan of Greve in Chianti. Visiting this area of Tuscany is an unforgettable experience that will remain in your heart: I fell in love at first sight with Greve, with its warm welcome, its scents and its landscapes. Discover an ancient way of life, healthy, relaxed and cordial and breathe the relaxed atmosphere marked by the slow passage of time: this is really possible. In Greve in Chianti.
