One Day in Tuscany

The town of Greve in Chianti was the charming hill town I was looking for, but that was only a part of my adventure that day. I arrived in Greve just in time for breakfast, and after a walk to look around, I set out for the Villa Vignamaggio from the tourist office attendant's directions, about four kilometers south of Greve.I had found the villa on the internet during the earlier days of my trip while searching for famous films that used Tuscany as their backdrop.

I knew that one of them was going to be Much Ado About Nothing (1993), and after a few minutes I found this location. The film itself is one of my favorite Shakespeare adaptations, as only Kenneth Branagh can do. He always infuses such life and splendor into all of his films, especially in a play like this that contains elements of light and dark, comedy and tragedy.

Branagh chose the villa as his setting because of the area's ability to bring a person away from whatever troubles they are having, and to transport them to a place where the only goal is to enjoy life. The beauty of this region is unparalleled in its simple yet elegant scenery, as it encourages the visitor to live as content as its inhabitants have lived here for centuries before.

The Villa Vignamaggio has had a storied past that has even been recorded in writing all the way back to the 17^th century. In 1659, Alessandro Strozzi described the villa for all who longed for a place that would satisfy their dreams. "Listen, I am a countryman and would like you to know what corner of the earth under this sky makes me feel so blessed.

The place is called, after the vines of Bacchus and the most flowering month of the year, Vignamaggio. It is surrounded on all sides by the most beautiful grapevines, and the pervading spirit of spring in this place merits this name. It is the villa of the Gherardis..." This letter describes perfectly the aura of the villa in a way that only someone who has been touched by it can capture.