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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. |
