Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
L'ANTICA MACELLERÌA CECCHINI
The small town of Panzano in Chianti southwest of Greve in Chianti is known throughout Italy for the
macellerìa
(butcher shop) owned and run by extrovert butcher,
Dario Cecchini
(
www.dariocecchini.com
; Via XX Luglio 11; 9am-4pm). This Tuscan celebrity has carved out a
niche for himself as a poetry-spouting guardian of the
bistecca
(steak) and other Tuscan meaty treats,
and he operates three eateries here as well as the
macellerìa:
Officina della Bistecca
( 055 85 21
76; set menu €50; from 8pm Tue, Fri & Sat, from 1pm Sun), with a simple set menu built around
the famous
bistecca;
Solociccia
( 055 85 27 27; set menu €30; from 7pm & 9pm Thu, Fri &
Sat, from 1pm Sun), where guests share a communal table to sample meat dishes other than
bistecca;
and
Dario DOC
(burger €10-15, light menu €20;
noon-3pm Mon-Sat), his casual lunchtime-only
eatery. Book ahead for the Officina and Solociccia.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Castellina in Chianti
POP 2873
Established by the Etruscans and fortified by the Florentines in the 15th century as a de-
fensive outpost against the Sienese, Castellina in Chianti is now a major centre of the
wine industry, as the huge cylindrical silos brimming with Chianti Classico attest. To taste
some of the local product, head to
Antica Fattoria la Castellina
(Via Ferruccio 26)
, the town's
best-known wine shop.
From the southern car park, follow Via Ferruccio or the panoramic path next to the
town's eastern defensive walls to access the atmospheric
Via delle Volte
, an arched mediev-
al passageway that was originally used for ancient sacred rites and later enclosed with a
roof and incorporated into the Florentine defensive structure.
Etruscan archaeological finds from the local area are on display at the
Museo Archeologi-
co del Chianti Senese
(
www.museoarcheologicochianti.it
;
Piazza del Comune 18; adult/reduced €5/3;
10am-6pm Apr-May & Sep-Oct, 11am-7pm Jun-Aug, 10am-5pm Sat & Sun Nov-Mar)
, located in the
town's medieval
rocca
(castle). Room 4 showcases artefacts found in the 7th-century-BC
Etruscan tombs of
Montecalvario
(Ipogeo Etrusco di Monte Calvario;
, which is
24hr)
located on the northern edge of town off the SR222.
Eating
