Between two major art cities, Florence and Siena, in the heart of Tuscany is Chianti.  Castello Vicchiomaggio is situated in the centre of the Chianti, 4km from Greve in Chianti, known as the ‘wine city’.  The town is situated amongst beautiful vineyards, olive-trees, castles, parishes, and medieval hilltop villages, providing a real taste of Tuscany.  Castello Vicchiomaggio dominates a hill in the Greve valley and was built between the 5th and 15th centuries.  It is an ideal place to sample some of the delicious wines and local dishes.  It is now a popular winery where you can taste and buy prize-winning wines, homegrown olive oil, vin santo and grappa.  This winery was once the biggest distributor of Tuscany’s greatest honey.  The winery is open daily.

Greve is host to the Chianti Wine Festival, Tuscany’s largest wine fair, which takes place in the second weekend of September and preceding Friday.  The wine industry plays a major part in the local residents’ lives and a very important wine tasting centre for Chianti Classico has recently been opened in Greve.  The wine cellar was established in the late 1800’s and covers 600 square meters of space. The wine centre has been conveniently located on the ‘wine road’ which is on the road from Florence to Siena.  Visitors to the centre are welcomed to a host of local produce, including 100 different varieties of wine.

A weekly market takes place every Saturday morning in the main piazza (Piazza Matteotti), which always livens up the town centre and brings out the local cultures and colours.

On Easter Monday and the second Sunday of October, Greve accommodates the Antiques and Collectors Fair, which is very popular with both the locals and tourists.

In between April and May, the International Handicrafts Fair takes place in Florence and is the crafts show not to be missed.  The event is on for nine days in Spring, which is when you can see Florence at its best. The exhibits are varied from jewellery to homemade furniture.  There is also an area that is dedicated to the delicious food that is locally produced and gives you the opportunity to sample the delights.

Florence is host to the International Arts Biennale in December, which has been running for nearly a decade.  The event allows new, talented artists to showcase their work regardless of the theme or style.  This allows visitors to see a diverse variety of art in a panoramic survey of contemporary art.

Twice a year, in February and September, the Florence Gift Mart occurs and lasts for around four days.  The event attracts large audiences through its reputation of showcasing the best work from some of the most refined designers and creators in the field.  The exhibition is popular as it has something to interest everyone.

2006 will be the sixth year that Florence has hosted the International Music Festival, which runs in the middle of May.  The festival is designed for new, fresh musicians from around the world.  The exhibition is an opportunity for talented musicians to perform in the some of the most beautiful and historic locations in Florence.