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“To honor the past, hold our name high, and compete with the rest of the world, we must build a future based on development”.

In the grand book of history and belltowers, born and raised in a Tuscany made up of 1000 villages, change is possible. Seven mayors of Chianti are trying to rewrite a page of the centuries old life of the territory with innovation, the identity of a cultural heritage and integrated management.

The idea for a single Chianti model, is advanced and strengthened by the strategy of promotion and development, elaborated and shared by the townships of Barberino Val d’Elsa, Castellina in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Greve in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, San Casciano, and Tavarnelle.

There are many actions, projects, and interventions ready to reach the objective and give voice and weight to Chianti through the construction of a “Distretto Rurale” (rural district).

The town administrations, in a coordinated manner, are investing in the relaunching of a tourist/ cultural path and the economic growth of the territory.

Two vast and heterogeneous areas of Tuscany, historically divided, rediscover spaces, opportunities and favorable situations after three centuries.

History, art, and productive and food/wine resources create relationships and intersection points in a new network, which was recently greeted favorably in a meeting held in Tavarnelle.

The plan was also greeted favorably by the minister of agricultural politics, Maurizio Martina. The minister promised support for the management of the territory and of the agricultural entrepreneurships undertaken by the townships.

“It is an objective for which we want to unite our energies,” add the mayors, “by bringing into play the roots of a network, and the ideas and resources of each Township. Our territory has the prerequisites for a decisive and determining breakthrough for the future of Chianti. We have the quality of production, the history, the high-level agricultural landscape, and the capacity to be competitive and attractive on the international market”.

The townships are continuing the project with concrete actions. There are many acts which have begun, to create the construction of the Distretto Rurale.

“In occasion of the 300th anniversary of Chianti Classico, we underwrote the protocol for the institution of a rural district and a bio district of Chianti and we presented its candidature for the ‘patrimonio dell’Umanita’ (heritage for humanity)”, explain the mayors. “The homogeneous vision to which each single entity offers its force, by virtue of its individual specificities, continues within an agreement regarding territorial promotion”.

The next step for the creation of the rural district is the involvement of all the productive categories. “We continue to work together,” they add, “to promote Chianti as a single brand and to really build a model capable of attracting resources and financing, in order to render the territory more competitive”.

The recent request of the Tuscan region for the realization of a unitary brand of territorial promotion enhances this program.

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