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The Carro Matto and the wine-makers of Florence

The art of Florentine winemakers and wine festivals.

Wine flows in the blood of Florentines! With centuries of tradition, care of the land, vineyards, harvests, osterie and wineries, there are festivals to bless and celebrate the red or white drink, and, in a nutshell, the art of vine growers or wine producers. More than the modern concept of a producer, winemakers are those who, since the Middle Ages, personally cultivate grapes, living and working on the land, and taking care of every detail, up to the bottling and sale of their wine. Winemakers are present and leading every phase and putting wine at the centre of their lives. Thanks to generations of Florentine winemakers, today we enjoy gems such as Chianti, Nobile, and Brunello.

A passionate relationship with the land and a lot of effort has made Tuscany a world symbol.

In the 1300s, their presence and importance was established with the Arte dei Vinattieri, the first statute written in the vernacular, as one of the Arti Minori of the guilds of arts and crafts of Florence. The city was full of buchette del vino (wine doors) from which producers sold their wine at vintners and osterie. Even today, it’s possible to find historical ones that are still active. Take our Florentine Walk to discover historic winemakers and the San Lorenzo district.

Carro Matto and Feste dell’Uva

Traditionally, winemakers arrived from the Florentine countryside to the center of Florence at the beginning of autumn, with their carts pulled by cows. Their arrival in the city meant stocked wineries and taverns, open wine doors, and rivers of wine with much revelry. For this reason, on the last Saturday of September, Florence celebrates the Carro Matto (Crazy Cart), a historical re-enactment of the traditional festival to bless the new wine arriving from Rufina, inaugurating the new wine season.

The carro matto carries tens of liters of wine with 1500 flasks of Chianti arranged in a pyramid, pulled by a pair of white oxen. With drums, flag-wavers and a cannon, the cart is blessed in the churchyard of the Duomo and then parades to Piazza della Signoria where the wine is offered as a gift to Palazzo Vecchio and to the city of Florence.

Don't miss all the grape festivals in Florence and the surrounding area!


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