Wine tour to Machiavelli’s Chianti Villa

“VILLA”: A WORD FULL OF MEANING

In Italy we say “we go in villa” to say “we go to the countryside” to reconnect ourselves with nature; from the ancient Latin word “Villa” means tuscan countryside, farm and land.

Many centuries ago, but still now, the word villa indicated a large house surrounded by a huge park that noble families built not far from Florence to spend the Spring and the Summer and to increase the quality of their life. The more powerful the family was, the bigger the villa they owned and also to have multiple residences was undoubtedly synonymous with economic and political power.

THE STORY IS ALIVE

To combine the old meaning of country with the most recent meaning of noble residence is a unique villa in Tuscany, on the hills of Chianti near Florence; it is one of the largest and elegant villas in Tuscany, still perfectly preserved, it was called “the queen of all Tuscan villas”, it is mentioned on historical documents as early as 1427 . The residence was a property of Machiavelli family then to other noble families in Tuscany: Corsini, Strozzi, Antinori, Capponi and Orlandini.

The Villa has a striking central building and two lateral wings, all the interiors are frescoed with allegorical and naturalistic motifs and the central hall is capable of creating a vertigo for its magnificence, reminding every visitor that here stopped even the czar of Russia and popes that made the history of the world, as Pius VII on his journey to Paris to crown Napoleon in 1804.

THE GARDEN, VINEYARDS AND WINERY …

But this villa is also unique for the nature that surrounds it: olive trees, vineyards and cypress trees, which are the protagonists of the Tuscan countryside, The Villa also includes a chapel and an orangerie, which is surrounded by a large italianate garden where every tree, flower, shrub and hedge serves to create surprise and delight, with water features, fountains, perspectives and sudden and breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, a few meters before cleverly hidden by hedges, and after a few steps unfolded in front of the astonished visitor. Although it took major renovations to keep the villa in all its beauty, the wine cellar have been the same for over 600 years. In these wine cellars is made and rest a great Chianti Classico aged for 12 months in big barrels and in French oak barriques.

A TUSCAN WINE DAY TOUR: COUNTRYSIDE BEAUTY AND WINE TASTING

You can visit the Villa with our wine tour to Machiavelli’s Chianti Villa, starting from Florence all year round in one day the best of Tuscany, losing yourself in the Florentine and Tuscan countryside, among history , nature, and wine tasting.