From Poggio a Vento. take the dirt road you find in front of you at the cross road before the asphalt road and at the end of it turn left. When you are on the asphalt road on top of the hill, turn left and you will find the sign Greve.
From Villa Torricella, once you are in Tavarnuzze, cross the bridge and turn right. Follow the signs to Greve.
Montefioralle, the fortified hamlet on your way to Greve
Take your time to stop and visit Montefioralle, the village you will see on top of the hilla along the way to Greve. The medieval castle is still almost completely visible with its walls defending the ancient stone houses. Jump back into the Middle Ages walking on the narrow allies paved in stone and under the vaulted passage ways.
Greve in Chianti, the famous town in the heart of the Chianti
The town of Greve dates back to the 11th century: it was originally the market place of the fortified hamlet of Montefioralle, located on the crossroad of important Chianti routes. The piazza is encircled by houses and shops preceded by porticoes, where merchandise was and is still displayed like in the past. An early 20th century monument honours Giovanni da Verrazzano, born in the nearby castle belonging to his family: in 1524 the famous navigator crossed the ocean and landed in Hudson Bay.
In the shops of the piazza you will find typical hand crafted Chianti products, such as woven baskets, hand crafted olive wood utensils, bowls, cutting boards, embroided bed linen, and of course wine, olive oil, local food; every Saturday you can stroll through the weekly market, crowded an colourful.
Good local food and Chianti wine are a must in Greve in Chianti
The most famous butcher in Greve, Antica Macelleria Falorni, has been run by eight generations of the Falorni family. Inside Tuscan ham, salami, cured meats surround big steaks, ready to be grilled. Try the very special meat of the Cinta Senese, a breed of wild pig you can find in many farms of the Chianti.
You love the Chianti wine and you want to know more about it? Reach the Museo del Vino, a few steps from the piazza: here you will learn the history of the Chianti wine and you will experience the tasting of more than 200 different wines. Not to forget the other products of the Chianti region: extra virgin olive oil, vinsanto (the sweet wine for dessert) and Chianti grappa.
More art and history in Greve in Chianti
At the end of the piazza, the neoclassical church of Santa Croce was designed in 1832 by the architect Giuseppe Martelli. Have a look inside, to see works of art from churches of the surroundings and among these the curious ‘Black Crucifix’, a wooden crucifix from San Cresci a Montefioralle, a work of a Spanish artist of the 15th century.
Climb up the short road to the Museo di San Francesco, a small museum located in a former hospice of the Franciscan friars, where many art treasures, paid by wealthy families of the Chianti to decorate their altars and chapels are displayed. A terracotta sculptural group, a Mourning over the dead Christ is the most important work: it is attributed to Baccio da Montelupo, a Florentine sculptor, a friend of Michelangelo and a follower of the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola, and dated to the second decade of the 16th century.