Tuscany is a wine-producing region known for Chianti in large bottles wrapped in straw.
So, centuries ago, how did all those Chianti bottles get from the countryside to thirsty customers in town?
The answer is the Carro Matto, or Crazy Cart.
Il Carro Matto |
The practice waned but was revived four decades ago. The celebration includes a parade of Florentines in historical costumes and the arrival of the Crazy Cart pulled by two white oxen, followed by a tasting of the new wine, of course.
Here are some fun facts:
- Since the 14th century, Chianti was bottled in a glass container called a “fiasco”, or flask.
- The fiasco has a round, pear shaped bottom and long neck.
- The flask is covered with straw braided around the bottom half to protect the glass from breaking and to insulate the wine to preserve its quality.
- The bottle are masterfully stacked and woven into a pyramid shape atop the cart.
- A Crazy Cart can hold 2,000 bottles.
A friend shared a story about the Chianti bottles: Workers in Florence would take a bottle to work each day. The baskets made them easy to carry when they went up the scaffolding and worked all day (on the cathedral or whatever other jobs they had). When they stopped for lunch, they would drink the bottle down to the top of the straw--the halfway point. In the evening, they would finish the bottle.
We attended this year's arrival of the Crazy Cart. Here are some photographs of the event.
The master of ceremonies. We dubbed him MC Lu (for Luigi) |
Of course, there was flag throwing.
The flag throwers: Bandierai degli Uffizi |
One ox to the other: "We do all the work and never get even a sip of Chianti." |
During the event, we noticed some people clad in black wearing Guy Fawkes masks. We learned that they were protesting animal cruelty, which in this case referred to using oxen to pull the Crazy Cart.
"Look at why we're here." |
Thanks for viewing the Carro Matto parade with us.
Now, it's time to enjoy a glass of the new Chianti. Salute!
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