In the late 19th century, agricultural life in the Tuscan countryside had an orderly rhythm marked by the seasons, rituals, and social customs. The lack of transportation necessitated the presence of a figure to connect the farms with neighboring villages. This was the Treccone. The term derives from the Tuscan verb “treccare” (to sell by […]
Small billhooks (roncolini) were used on every farm for processing Iris Pallida, at least four per family. They were used only for one month a year and were used to work the iris. Crafted by the local blacksmith from the finest steel available, they had a handle of chestnut or beech wood. They were used […]
In our Hystoric Chianti, harvesting juniper berries has always been a seasonal activity. Every year, from mid-August until the beginning of the harvest, every farming family took part in the harvest. On every farm, the elders taught the young how to harvest juniper berries. It was a true art. No branch was to be damaged, […]
The market crisis: an ice age is coming… the sharecropping crisis and the development of the wine market completely changed the production fabric of the small Chianti area. Far more devastating, however, was the earthquake in the world of cosmetics and essences: synthetic chemistry is taking hold and few are looking for a natural product […]
