Greve in Chianti
| Greve in Chianti | ||
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| Comune | ||
| Comune di Greve in Chianti | ||
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 Greve in Chianti
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| Coordinates: 43°35′N 11°19′E / 43.583°N 11.317°E | ||
| Country | Italy | |
| Region | Tuscany | |
| Province / Metropolitan city | Florence (FI) | |
| Frazioni | Borgo di Dudda, Case di Dudda, Case Poggio, Casole, Castellinuzza, Castello di Cintoia, Chiocchio, Cintoia, Dimezzano, Dudda, Ferrone, Giobbole, Le Bolle, Greti, Il Ferrone, Il Ferruzzi, Il Piano, La Panca, La Presura, La Villa, Lamole, Le Masse, Lucolena in Chianti, Montefioralle, Panzano in Chianti, Passo dei Pecorai, Pescina, Petigliolo, Petriolo, Pieve di Panzano, Poggio Alla Croce, Rinforzati, Ruffoli, San Polo in Chianti, Santa Cristina, Solaia, Spedaluzzo, Strada in Chianti, Torsoli | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Alberto Bencistà (Democratic Party) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 169 km2 (65 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 236 m (774 ft) | |
| Population (31 December 2010) | ||
| • Total | 14,351 | |
| • Density | 85/km2 (220/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Grevigiani | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
| Postal code | 50022 | |
| Dialing code | 055 | |
| Website | Official website | |
Greve in Chianti (the old name was Greve; in 1972 was renamed Greve in Chianti after the inclusion of that area in the Chianti wine district) is a town and comune (municipality) in the province of Florence, Tuscany, Italy. It is located about 31 kilometres (19 mi) south of Florence on A1 highway, and 42 kilometres (26 mi) north of Siena.
Sitting in the Val di Greve, it is named for the small, fast-flowing river that runs through it, is the principal town in the Chianti wine district which stretches south of Florence to just north of Siena. Until recently it has been a quiet, almost bucolic town because it was, and still is, well off the main roads.
Even in ancient days Greve was not isolated because it was well-connected by secondary roads to the Via Volterrana and via Francigena. Nowadays, it is connected to the A1 superstrada between Florence and Rome and the main road between Florence and Siena. The old road network ensured easy access to Florence and to other places such as Figline where its tradesmen and farmers found ready markets for their goods and produce.
The site of Greve and the surrounding territory has been long settled, probably well before the Etruscans and then the Romans dominated the area. Historical documents of the 11th century refer to an ancient monastic settlement on a nearby hill, which is now called the hill of San Francesco. Before the Franciscans established their monastery in the 15th century, an earlier monastery dedicated to Santo Savi had already been built, and also a small hospital. Larger scale settlement occurred in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Although an independent town for most of its history, Greve ultimately came under Florentine control and remained so until the Grand Duchy of Tuscany was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of Italy in 1861.
The Franciscan monastery is still at the heart of the old part of the city, as is the triangular main piazza, where a market has been running more or less continuously for centuries serving the nearby castle communities and hamlets.
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Wikipedia