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After the success of the first edition of the Rural festival in Tuscany, Gaiole in Chianti continues the Rural project. For the weekend of September 24 and 25, for example, the “Rural Adventure” is arriving.

It is an excursion into the  historic lands of Chianti to learn up close about the world of breeders and custodians of antique races and fruit/vegetable varieties who follow “Rural”.

We will use jeeps for longer trips and stop and camp for the night in tents. Participants will meet on Saturday, 10:30 AM, in front of the Info Point in Gaiole in Chianti. For a briefing on the Rural project Adventure. At 11 AM, the departure for an excursion to the medieval fortified village of Vertine, where after lunch, we will continue through vineyards and olive groves with a 4 x 4 Defender, arriving at the Meleto castle for a visit. Here will be a tasting of organic Sangiovese wine of the winery, “La Fornace di Ridolfo”.

A visit to a Black Valdarno chicken farm belonging to the Cantalici Family will follow. We will continue by foot to reach breeders of the Cinta Senese (4 km), where tents will be set up, both single and double, in Mello. At 7:30 PM, there will be a dinner at the rural base camp tent and a briefing for the following day.

At 10 PM, there will be a nocturnal excursion with headlamps and cameras that will capture images of local fauna. On Sunday, breakfast at 8 AM and departure by foot at 11 AM for the ridges of the Chianti mountains. We will then arrive at the medieval fortress of Montegrossi, and we will then stop for lunch at the Badia di Coltibuono (9.5 km).

A visit to the Abbey and the wine cellars of the Vallombrosa monks will follow, with wine tasting of their wines, made with autochtonous grapes. In a Defender, among woods and vineyards, we will continue towards Radda in Chianti where we will visit a cellar where prosciuttos of the Cinta Senese are aged.

Return to Gaiole in Chianti late in the afternoon. Price: €250 per person, minimum four people. For information and reservations: Roberto Mattioli, environmental/excursion guide and sky running coach. Cell: 377-780-2223 – mail, roberto@rural.it.