Tourist Itineraries
Castles
One of the most important attractions in the Greve area is the visit to the numerous castles, such as Vicchiomaggio of Longobard origin with its tower dated 1200 and its beautiful Italian garden; the Castle of Uzzano, one of the oldest and most impressive.
Montefioralle with its church, S. Stefano and its castle that has maintained its medieval village and the original boundary walls together with the remains of the old towers.
The church has a gothic structure with a unique central nave. This church is one of the most important artistic heritage in the area.
San Cristofano-Strada in Chianti
A church dated XI century. It has romanesque remains with its elegant entrance with three arcades. Inside there are wall paintings dated 1400 ( school of Paolo Uccello ) and an important wooden crucifix dated the middle of the XV century.
San Polo - Valle dell'Ema
Taking the "grevigiana " road for Strada you will come to the church in San Polo, Romanesque origin. Inside there is a wall painting dated 1300 of the Madonna and Child.
The Ema Valley also has various castles to visit, such as Mugnana and Cintoia, which has a natural water source. On the hillside there is a beautiful abbey called Monte Scalari which faces north towards the Arno Valley.
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Panzano
Going towards the central part of the Chianti area you will come to a village called Panzano whose origins date back to the Etruscan period that was without doubt already populated in the Roman era.
At the top of the hill you will come to the church of S. Maria in Panzano. Inside there are various important works of art such as: an Annunciation dated XVI century, a Madonna and Child dated 1300 and two wooden crucifixes dated 1400 and 1500.
In Panzano you can also visit San Leolino.
Together with Badia a Passignano these two churches are considered the most important sacred places in the whole of the Chianti area. The church has a Romanesque origin, dated 1200.
It has one nave and two aisles and at the front it has an arcade dated XVI century, financed and constructed by the hospital of S. Maria Nuova. You can visit its cloister and then the church with its important works of art: two terracotta tabernacles of Giovanni Della Robbia and a triptych with the Madonna and Saints ( by Senese school dated 1300 ).
Surroudings
Going back from Panzano towards Greve on the hillside, from the Val di Greve to the Val di Pesa you can see other important sacred churches such as: Pieve di S. Pietro a Sillano e San Cresci, the latter is the oldest in the Chianti area (year 1000). Its structure has a Romanesque origin.
In 1400 an arched portal with two elegant mullion windows were added.