Journey to the Chianti. Getting to know an ancient Tuscan region

Travelling to the Chianti implies visiting a well kept countryside, where spontaneous nature is dominated by low oak woods, where there are also black hornbeams and chestnut trees, rows of poplars and isolated alders, along the protected areas that have lived a long existence near water sources. Among the spontaneous thickets are visible junipers and the bright yellow tufts of sweet-smelling broom, a natural flora that grows amidst vast spaces in which to move and expand. But these spaces are shared with vineyards and olive trees that cover entire slopes, giving us an impression of their being scanty and less invasive. Indeed, olive trees are small, cultivated, spiritual trees both pleasant and soothing to look at. Just try to take a walk in a large olive grove and in the repetitive and slightly nerve-wracking maze of a vineyard however beautiful. In the land of olive trees, one seems to belong to a world which recalls the slow, interior rhythms of meditation, leaving sufficient space and light. Instead, in the land of vines, you are in the centre of a feast, crowded with shrubs, foliage and large bunches of ripe grapes that capture your attention, grip and inebriate you.