Gaiole-in-Chianti

Yesterday’s storm is still rolling around, but between showers I popped out to do some shopping in our local little town, Gaiole-in-Chianti. This photo is taken with my back to the square and looking down the main road towards Siena, and it tells you quite a lot about Gaiole.

The huge metal cock is part of a summer display of sculpture by local artists throughout the village streets. It is probably the least artistic, but the most striking exhibit at about 4 metres high. It is, of course, the emblem of the league of Chianti wine makers. Chianti wine is made in several “comune”, but Gaiole has the largest number of major producers, and apart from a bit of tourism, the town has virtually nothing else.

Just disappearing into the distance between the cock and the cyclists is a little old tractor pulling a trailer full of spent grape skins after the juice has been pressed out of them. The village smells of the first fermentation of the red wine.

The building on the right is the school, built in modernist style during the fascist era. The locals admire Mussolini and are grateful for the investment in infrastructure – roads, railways and schools – that he instigated. They just think it is a pity that he spoiled it in the end by falling under the influence of that nasty little man, Hitler…

There are always cyclists in the village as these hills are full of cycling trails. Next Sunday, Gaiole becomes the centre of the Italian cycling universe, as the major vintage cycling race, L’Eroica, starts and ends here. Every hotel and restaurant has been fully booked for months, the population of the village increases several fold, and the skies are full of helicopters filming the excitement. We’ll be back in England!