Lilliano: Church, Chianti Classico and Wine Landscape

Lilliano combines ecclesiastical history, the winemaking tradition of Chianti Classico and a landscape that can also be experienced on a cycling loop route. If you would like to combine culture, regional wines and peaceful activities on your trip to Tuscany, you will find several clearly distinct themes here in Lilliano and its surroundings.

Church and history of Lilliano

The Pieve di Santa Cristina in Lilliano is the focal point. It was first mentioned in a papal bull dated April 20, 1189. The church belonged to the medieval Borgo di Lilliano, a fortified complex, and stands out for its single large nave. In addition, the Strada dei Vigneti leads to the Pieve di Santa Cristina, a church of Romanesque origin dating from the 11th century. Thus, the surviving records refer both to the medieval importance of the Borgo and to the Romanesque classification of the church building. Lilliano was not unaffected by the conflicts in the region: During the wars between Siena and Florence, the town experienced sieges and destruction. This historical background adds the eventful history between the two Tuscan cities to the perspective on the church and the fortified complex.

Tenuta di Lilliano and winemaking

The Tenuta di Lilliano is a focus in its own right. The estate was acquired by Baron Berlingieri in 1920. In 1958, Princess Eleonora Ruspoli Berlingieri began bottling Lilliano’s wines. The aging cellar of Tenuta di Lilliano is located beneath the villa, which is part of Lilliano’s historic complex. For groups, wine tastings can be organized outdoors or in this aging cellar. If you are traveling with a group, you can combine the wine tasting outdoors or in the aging cellar with the historic site as a cultural setting. The grapes for Tenuta di Lilliano’s Chianti Classico come entirely from the estate’s vineyards and are hand-picked during the harvest. The estate’s described profile also includes a moderate and balanced microclimate in the diverse Chianti Classico area, relatively warm summers and sufficient, but not excessive, rainfall. The most widespread soil originates from Alberese and is rich in skeletal fragments, calcareous and tends to be clayey.

Landscape and active experiences

In addition to the vineyards, the surroundings offer a clearly identified cycling connection: The cycling loop route climbs uphill towards Lilliano and runs along the Laghetto di Vallechiara. You can therefore consider this route as an independent activity alongside the church and wine history, without mixing the themes. The cellar of Tenuta dei Ruspoli also contains large oak barrels and 24 glass-lined concrete tanks that are more than four decades old. For another local comparison, you can also discover San Leonino.

For the overarching travel overview: Castellina In Chianti.