Activity Highlights

History Sneak Peek

Legend has it that Siena was founded by the son of Remus. Hence, the symbol of the wolf nurturing the twins of Romulus and Remus is as omnipresent here as in Rome. In reality, the city is of Etruscan origin and it wasn't until the 1st century BC that Romans established a military colony.

The 12th century is when Siena grew in power, wealth as well as size. With its power also grew its rivalry with Florence which led to countless bickering wars between the cities. Florence won at last and the cities created a profitable alliance. Siena's biggest period of the decline came in the 14th century in form of a plague outbreak which killed two-thirds of the population!

As per Chianti, its existence has been intertwined with wine since the beginning. In fact, Chianti was a wine before it became an official name of the region. In Middle Ages, three villages - Gaiole, Radda, and Castellina - formed so-called Lega del Chianti (League of Chianti). The area became the spiritual soul of the Chianti region. As the Chianti wine grew more popular, multiple Tuscan villages wanted their lands to be called Chianti. In fact, the region saw countless expansions and subdivisions since its humble beginnings.

Today, only some wineries have the privilege of calling their wines Chianti. Each winery has its special recipe which has to fulfill the strict quality regulations of DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita).

Chianti wine tour combined with a visit to Siena creates a marvelous way to diversify your holiday. Don't wait any longer and book your Siena Tour from Florence today!