45^ BACCO ARTIGIANO on 26 and 27 September the wine festival returns in compliance with all safety regulations

Saturday 26 the usual appointment with “The Contado Wine Offer to the Signoria of Florence”

Everything is ready for the Bacchus Artisan which will take place tomorrow and Sunday in Rufina (and Florence). Reduced and reorganized event, but for this reason even more focused on the undisputed protagonist: the wine of the Chianti Rufina Consortium.

Tomorrow we start with what is the heart of the event: “The offer of the Contado Wine to the Signoria of Florence”, an event directed by Filippo Giovanelli. The appointment is at 3.30 pm with the procession of the Florentine Republic and the Procession of the Vine and Wine of Rufina, which will start from the Palagio di Parte Guelfa and will cross via Calimala, via Roma and piazza San Giovanni. At the head of the procession “La Cesta del Bacco” a large flask with, at the base, dozens of other flasks of wine, made by the boys of the Committee for the Crazy Car. The wine will be blessed in the churchyard of the Cathedral, then the caravan will pass through via Calzaioli and will arrive at the Church of San Carlo dei Lombardi for the offering of an ampoule. Finally, in Piazza Signoria, where we return after two years, there will be the offer of the wine from the Cesta del Bacco to the Signoria of Florence, represented by the Mayor Dario Nardella.

In Rufina, on the other hand, from dawn to dusk in Piazza Umberto I, both Saturday and Sunday there will be the “Bacchus Market”, an exhibition of antiques, fashions, various objects and works of genius, and musical entertainment on both days. Tomorrow at 9 pm in Piazza Umberto I, “The WAM game” show, from 5 to 101 years old, dedicated to Mozart, staged by the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

Sunday at 12 noon blessing of the Chariot in Rufina in front of the Church of San Martino. At 4.30 pm “Emotions in Gospel” starring the Sound Gospel Train curated by Monica Masini. At 5.30 pm traveling performance by the “La Leggera” Association entitled “New Potatoes”. All day Sunday dance music for young people by Rocky Dj Sanna.

On Sunday afternoon at 4 and 6.30 pm in the central hall of Villa Poggio Reale there will be “A Sunday in Chianti Rufina” guided tastings open to all by the Chianti Rufina Consortium. At 4 pm the tasting will be titled “Between east and west – the vintages -” at 6.30 pm “Rive ‘gauche’ and ‘droite’ – the reserves -“. The tastings will take place in total safety in the large rooms of the villa and will be by reservation only (contact the consortium eventi@chiantirufina.it- 3335371683 directly).

The story of “The Offer of the Contado Wine to the Signoria of Florence” starts from far away. On the Arengario of Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria, the Mayor of the Rufina community offered the city of Florence the Chianti wine along with the keys to the “County of Turicchi”. A traditional chariot surmounted by a pyramid of 1500 flasks full of Chianti, pulled by the typical Chianina “bovi”, historically portrayed in the most beautiful historical photos of the Alinari brothers. The “Carro Matto” (which this year will be smaller in size), as it was baptized, is a work of exceptional constructive mastery by the master winemakers of Val di Sieve now gathered in the Committee for the Carro Matto di Rufina. The “Flasks”, typical pot-bellied glass containers lined with straw, are stacked in a pyramid and intertwined with straw and natural ligaments in order to contain each other. An ingenious transport system that allowed the cart to transport large quantities of wine from the countryside to the city.

To consult the full program www.comune.rufina.fi.it. More info on the Facebook pages of the Municipality of Rufina and the Chianti Rufina Consortium.