|
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.
|
