San Gimignano

“There are places one comes home to that one has never been to: San Gimignano.” ~Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

I ventured into the Tuscany countryside to visit San Gimignano and Siena. One of my favorite parts of the day was the bus ride there. I was wooed by Tuscany’s gorgeous cypress trees, poppies, and rolling fields. I wondered what it was like to put up hay in these parts as compared to Nebraska. I didn’t see the big tractors we have in the Midwest, so it felt as if I stepped back in time. My first stop was San Gimignano, the New York City of Tuscany, with its towering medieval stonework. My first impression was that I would like to stay longer as it drew me in with its awe-inspiring views and abundant shopping. I was told by the tour guide to go behind the church, walk a little ways, and find some steps to climb for an amazing view. Once I reached the top, I could only put my hands on my hips and shake my head as I wondered, “How did I get so lucky?” There was a man sitting on a bench facing the view reading a book. There was a woman sitting on the ground just staring ahead. I’m sure they had the same thoughts as me.

After snapping numerous photos, I shopped for keepsakes to bring home for my family and friends. As I looked around, I started to notice the Black Rooster label on Chianti wines, on T-shirts, and in the linen shops. After doing some research, I learned about “the Legend of the Black Rooster”. If you know much about wine, you certainly have heard of Chianti Classico. The red wine produced in the area that lies between Florence to the north and Siena to the south (and beyond) has been enjoyed by people since 1000 A.D.
An amusing legend of the black rooster goes back to a time when the cities of Florence and Siena fought over the area that is now the Chianti Classico zone. The rivalry waged on for several years until the early 1200’s when leaders decided to settle the issue by a competition.
Two horsemen, one from Florence and the other from Siena, were to leave their hometowns at a cockcrow and where ever they met that exact spot would define their boarders. For this purpose, the Sienese chose a beautiful, well-fed white rooster who grew big and fat as their official timekeeper, while the Florentines instead chose a starving black rooster for their timekeeper. On that fateful day of the event, the black rooster began to crow early long before sunrise because he was so famished and the Florentine rider set off towards Siena. Meanwhile the Sienese white rooster took its time and began to crow at sunrise. As a result, the Florentine rider was able to cover more ground and met the Sienese rider just 12-19 kilometers (references differ) north of Siena. The boundary lines were drawn at the meeting spot and the majority of Chianti Classico region now fell under the jurisdiction of the Florentine Republic. Today, the Black Rooster label is placed on the neck of a bottle of wine from the Chianti Classico zone
(Information courtesy of The Legend of the Black Rooster by Terry Sullivan http://www.winetrailtraveler.com/opinion/columnists/blackrooster.php and interview with Giuseppe Liberatore, Director of Consortium Chianti Classico by Duccio Morozzo della Rocca http://www.teatronaturale.com/article/622.html )

Legends like the one about the Black Rooster make me fall in love more deeply with this place. There is so much history and legend and story that reaches up from the soil and into my imagination.