When I was a teenager I used to drive my black motor scooter from my house in Antella to Greve in Chianti. I loved driving that winding road and feeling the wind on my face while I passed old farmhouses, cypresses, olive groves, and vineyards.
Along the way, I always stopped at Alimentari Martellina for some schiacciata, the local flatbread (The Alimentari is still there, halfway between Antella and Greve).
Greve is a special place. I always remember a conversation with my friend Gabriele, an electrical engineer who turned down many job offers in the UK and the US. When I asked him why he was declining all those promising opportunities so he could stay in the area, his answer was “There’s no Chianti there’.
Greve has a population of 14,000 people, making it the largest town in the Chianti region. While it has many tourists during the warmer months, it still maintains its unique identity. There is a wonderful Saturday farmers’ market in the main square, and a very popular wine festival in September that was the thing I missed most when I moved away.
Greve is an old town. During the Middle Ages, it had a bustling market, thanks to its strategic position between two important roads: the Francigena route that pilgrims followed from Canterbury, England to Rome, and the Via Volterrana, also known as the Salt road, where mules carried salt from Volterra to Florence.
The main square in Greve has preserved its ancient triangular shape. Each of the three sides is covered by porticos, which originally provided shelter for cattle on market days. Nowadays, they are filled with lively bars, cozy restaurants, and charming craft shops.
Whenever I’m in Greve, I like to enjoy a cappuccino at Bar Le Logge. Afterward, I’ll cross the piazza to explore the artisanal shops with pottery, wicker baskets, and cheeses and admire the stunning Winged Torso by the Polish artist Mitoraj. Art thrives in the Chianti region alongside red wine, meat products, and olive oil!
Here are some places to check out if you’re staying in Greve:
Coop grocery store: the place to go for fresh fruits and veggies, or a slice of pizza or bread and cold cuts from the deli. Unless you see a price tag on the package you have to weigh the produce on the scale and print the price tag. I know quite a few North Americans who’ve missed this step and then been kindly directed back to the scale by the cashier. While it’s written, “La Coop,” Florentines pronounce it as, “La Hop”.
Credit and debit cards are accepted everywhere, but if you need cash you can get it from the ATM in the main square near the church.
Caffé le Logge and Pasticceria del Chianti are my favorite places for a break. You can enjoy a cappuccino and pastry for less than 3 euros. I highly recommend the Budino di Riso, a traditional rice pudding wrapped in sweet shortcrust pastry. Or a Sfoglia, a sweet puff pastry with a custard filling. If you love French-style croissants you might be disappointed by the Italian cornetti, as my husband was, because they are less buttery and much sweeter. Italians have the habit of having a quick espresso and pastry for breakfast, standing up at the counter. But luckily you can also sit at the tables under the portico.
Just outside the main square, beside the Casa Del Popolo, there is La Torre delle Civette, a family-run restaurant and pizzeria. It’s open for lunch and dinner and serves terrific traditional dishes and good pizza.
In the main square, there is Antica Macelleria Falorni. It’s an institution in Greve. Have a look inside to see the salami and prosciutti hanging from the ceiling. I love going downstairs to the pecorino cheese cellar. But the cheese smell can be overwhelming!
La Bottega del Pane: an old bakery with wooden shelves. Their bread is seasonal and varies daily as you can read on the blackboard outside the door. In February they had a turmeric and squash bread that was delicious!
Enoteca Gallo Nero, in the main square. A wine bar and traditional restaurant. Their specialties are handmade pasta and barbecued meat. Expensive but worth it for a celebration.
Two lovely walks:From Greve to Montefioralle:
If you’re up for a little adventure on a steep road, I recommend the walk from Greve’s main square to the charming medieval village of Montefioralle. It’s less than a mile and takes 25 minutes. The trail follows the main road, and crosses a beautiful olive grove.
In Montefioralle, you’ll feel like time stood still. Stroll along the cobblestone street with colorful geranium pots and old ladies peeking from the windows. I love the view of the surrounding fields, with workers busy in the vineyards.
March is my favorite time of the year to visit Montefioralle. Every year, to celebrate Father’s Day a temporary food stall with a deep fryer as big as hot tub serves frittelle, a sort of rice pudding turned into fritters, sprinkled with icing sugar. Incredibly addictive.
For lunch, you can eat at Alberto’s home restaurant. Alberto loves to host lunch for guests in his garden. The view is stunning and there are no written menus. You only need to sit down and enjoy what he cooks for you. Reservations are mandatory ( +39 366 113 2939).
Loop Borgo del Cabreo, Montefioralle, Greve in Chianti:
Another favorite is the loop from Borgo del Cabreo to Montefioralle, and finally to Greve in Chianti. The dirt road passes between hills that look like a natural amphitheater.
You’ll also walk past the 11th-century church of San Cresci. This little gem is one the most important romanesque structures in the Chianti area. The original structure has been modified several times over the centuries but the narthex with its double-arched window and the columns with square capitals date back to 946 AD. The narthex, which means “whip”/“stick” in ancient Greek, was where penitents came to repent, before being baptized and being given full access to the church.
When I was growing up, time was measured by church bells, and there were churches everywhere. I love this church because its narthex makes it so different aesthetically.
And the church represents the willpower and determination of two people, Duccio Trassinelli (a professor of design) and Demetria Verducci (an architect) who restored this little church with their own money, after it had been left completely abandoned by the Florentine curia.
They decided to create around the church an artists’ residency, where artists from all over the world can spend a few weeks to be inspired by the place to work on their art. The residency is called, Macina di San Cresci. Macina means “millstone” in Italian. When Duccio and Demetria renovated the basement, they found an ancient millstone.
The duo’s vision expanded beyond the church to include art in the landscape around Greve. They worked with local artists and the terracotta craftsmen the area is famous for to create the Slow Road. You’ll see sculptures arranged beside the path, and you can sit on terracotta seats to enjoy the view. It took years for the Slow Road to see the light of day. Italian bureaucracy is slow, and I admire Duccio and Demetria’s enterprising spirit and determination!