Greve in Chianti, a market at the gates of the Chianti Classico
Usually considered the doorway to the Chianti, Greve in Chianti is located in the northern part of the so called “Chianti Classico”. The hamlet is in a flat area surrounded by rolling hills and numerous vineyards about thitry kilometres from Florence.
Greve in Chianti in the beginning was a small village dependent on the Castle of Montefioralle. Over time, however, the village, that is located at the intersection of some roads, as the via Chiantigiana and the roads for Valdarno and Val di Pesa has established itself as the most important market of the whole area. It is therefore no accident that the village is strongly characterised by its large central plaza, piazza Matteotti, where even now,every saturday, the weekly market of Greve in Chianti is held. In addition to the weekly market, the square houses many events during the year.
Visiting Greve in Chianti, the guide:
- Piazza Matteotti
- Chiesa di Santa Croce
- Museum of Sacred Art
As we said, the heart of Greve in Chianti is piazza Matteotti. This is a wide triangular-shaped plaza almost completely surrounded by arches where we can find many historical shops and artisan workshops and also bars, winery and restaurants. In the center of this square, makes a fine show the statue of the great explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, native of this area, famous for having explored in 1524 the coasts of North America reaching, first between European explorers, the area where today rises New York. Along the short side of the plaza, there is the palazzo del Comune while on the oppiste side, at the apex of the triangle, you can admire the Chiesa di Santa Croce.
Chiesa di Santa Croce
The Chiesa di Santa Croce ha a beautiful neoclassical facade with a portico in the lower part and the statues of San Francis and San John the Baptist located in two recesses just under the tympanum.
The style of the interior come from the Florentine Rinaissance; among the artworks we must mention the Madonna with Child by the Maestro di Greve, the tryptich Madonna and Saints by Bicci di Lorenzo, the Annunciation 14th-century in the style of Florentine school and the terracotta Ciborium attributed to Santi Buglioni.
Museo d’Arte Sacra di San Francesco
From Piazza Matteotti, a short walk to get to the former oratorio di San Francesco, located in via San Francesco. Built in the beginning of the 16h century, since the year 2002 the oratory houses the Museo d’Arte Sacra di San Francesco (Museum of Scared Art of Saint Francis). Inside are exposed works of various genres (paintings, liturgical objects, jewellery etc.) ranging from the 14th to the 19th century. In addition to the rooms dedicated to sacred art, there is also an archaeological section that collects archaeological remains found in the territory of Greve in Chianti.
Address: via San Francesco 4
Opening hours:
April – October: tuesday-thursday-friday 16-19; saturday-sunday 10-13 and 16-19
November – March: sunday 10-13 and 15-18.
Web site of the Sistema museale del Chianti e del Valdarno fiorentino; web site dof the municipality of Greve in Chianti.
In Greve in Chianti, there would also be a Wine Museum but is currently closed for renovation, if you are looking for more informitions, this is the web site.
Things to visit around Greve in Chianti
- Pieve di San Cresci
- Montefioralle
- Castle of Verrazzano
Not far from Greve in Chianti, in a radius of 4 kilometres, you could visit the Pieve di San Cresci, the hamlet of Montefiorelle and the Castle of Verrazzano where you can go for wine tastings.
If you are visiting the Chianti, you should go to Montefioralle. It is a very nice small fortified hamlet developed around an ancient castle. Here is worth a visit the chiesa di Santo Stefano that preserves some interesting medieval art works and something more. If in Greve in Chianti there is the statue of Giovanni da Verrazzano, in Montefioralle is reported a House that seems to have been owned by another great explorer: Amerigo Vespucci. Located near Montefioralle (1,5Km), the pieve di San Cresci is a beautiful church, built in starting to the beginning of the 12th century in Romanesque style, which was subsequently remodeled with Gothic and Baroque elements.
In you tour through the Chianti, you can also consider to visit Castellina, Radda, Gaiole and Castelnuovo Berardenga.
How to get to Greve in Chianti
By car: both from Florence and Siena you can get to Greve in Chianti driving on the Strada Chiantigiana (SP222)
By bus: from the train station of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, you can take the bus 365 by Sita.
