In the ancient realm of Tuscany, nestled between the rival cities of Siena and Florence, the fertile Chianti region lay as the coveted prize in a bitter territorial feud. For generations, the animosity the two cities had been simmering like the Tuscan sun.
A white rooster, a black rooster and grand horse race
Desperate for a resolution to establish the rightful owner of the Chianti territory once and for all, the leaders of both cities decided to settle the matter with a grand horse race. The rules were simple yet unprecedented: two riders would set off at the crowing of a rooster, one from each city, and the point where they met would determine the boundary between Siena and Florence.
In this high-stakes contest, each city pinned its hopes on a majestic rooster. In Siena, a pristine white rooster was chosen for its purity and the promise of its early crow. Florence selected a magnificent black rooster instead, its lustrous feathers symbolizing strength and nobility.
Growing up in the quaint alleys of Siena, Caterina was a young and spirited woman, known for her connection with animals. Her hands were gentle and nurturing, accustomed to tending to the needs of the creatures under her care. Her touch was soothing, and her voice carried a tender lilt that calms even the most agitated soul. She was appointed the carer of Bianco, the white rooster who will determine the start of the Sienese rider in the race.
Caterina and Leonardo
Caterina’s bright eyes and infectious smile disguised a fierce determination to help the rooster fulfil its destiny as the city’s champion. Every day before the race, she would head to Bianco’s coop, greeting the rooster with melodic lullabies, ensuring it remained calm and healthy, as its diet consisted of the finest grains and nourishing herbs. It was her belief that a happy and healthy animal will always have great instinct and impeccable daily routines. Roosters crow at the first light of day, so all Bianco needed to do is follow his primal instinct to perfection. Bianco was the most pampered and perfectly cared for rooster in Siena, and soon all citizens started to see it as their sparkling white mascot, a symbol of pure hope.
Across the hills in Florence, Leonardo was a skilled and enigmatic falconer, his art deeply rooted in ancient traditions. With a weathered face that bore the wisdom of years spent in communion with nature, he possessed an uncanny ability to communicate with the magnificent creatures under his care. Known far and wide for his expertise, Leonardo was sought after by nobles and commoners alike to train their birds for various purposes. Now they thought he was their best chance of preparing the Florentine black rooster for the day of the race.
Despite his gruff exterior, Leonardo had a gentle soul, especially when it came to Nero, the black rooster. A rooster is very different from a falcon, he thought. At first, he would sit in the dimly lit coop with the rooster, whispering soft words of encouragement and stroking its feathers with tender care. He wanted to form a bond with Nero, as he knew that the key to triumph lay in preparing Nero for the momentous day.
The falconer’s gambit
As the custodian of Florence’s honor, Leonardo had devised a daring plan to ensure Nero’s victory in the legendary race against the white rooster of Siena. He started mildly starving him and waited for the big day.
The day before the race Leonardo stood in the dim light of dusk, his gaze fixed on the magnificent black rooster. As the sky grew darker, he led Nero to a secluded corner of the rustic coop. The falconer’s hands were steady as he gently covered the rooster with a soft cloth, enveloping him in complete darkness.
“My dear Nero,” Leonardo whispered, his voice a soothing murmur, “you are the champion of Florence’s spirit, resilient and audacious. Tomorrow, the world shall hear your resolute crow at the first light of dawn.”
With the black rooster shrouded in darkness, Leonardo’s plan unfolded. He knew that roosters crowed at the first light of dawn, driven by their natural instincts. However, this time, the falconer aimed to control that instinct, to use it to their advantage.
Leonardo’s fingers gently ruffled Nero’s feathers, and the rooster responded with a low murmur of anticipation. “Patience, my friend,” the falconer murmured. “The dawn shall come soon, and your crow shall mark the beginning of our triumph.”
As the night deepened, Leonardo remained vigilant, his mind brimming with the audacity of his plan. He knew that Nero needed to feel the approach of dawn, to sense the sun’s arrival before its radiant glow spread across the land.
With the first glimmers of light on the horizon, even before the night’s mist started to lift, Leonardo gently removed the cloth from Nero’s eyes. The black rooster blinked in the soft dawn’s glow, and the falconer could sense the energy building within him. Nero’s comb glowed like fiery embers, as he paced restlessly, his instincts heightened from suddenly going from pitch dark to simmering light.
As the golden light of the morning sun crept closer, Leonardo watched the rooster with bated breath.
“Now, Nero,” Leonardo whispered, “let your spirit soar with the approaching dawn. The fate of Florence lies in your voice.”
Nero felt the rush of an undeniable force within him at the incoming rays of light. He knew what he must do. The primal call surged from deep within his soul, and with a powerful and resolute crow, he heralded the breaking dawn. Nero’s voice pierced the stillness of the morning, marking the beginning of the legendary race.
The race
The rooster’s crow pierced the morning air, reverberating across the rooftops and hills. It was a crow that defied the darkness it had endured, a crow that heralded the dawn of a new era for Florence.
The Florentines erupted in jubilation, the sound of their cheers intertwining with the echoing crow of the black rooster. Their knight started his ride.
In those crucial moments, Leonardo’s heart pounded with both trepidation and excitement. He had taken a daring gamble, manipulating Nero’s instinct to crow early, in the hopes that it would grant Florence an advantage in the legendary race.
The falconer knew that the path to victory was still fraught with challenges. The race itself would demand unwavering strength and courage from the Florentine rider and their noble steed. But with Nero’s early crow, they had secured an invaluable advantage, a psychological boost that would set the stage for the momentous event.
Over the hills in Siena, the serene melody of Bianco’s crow rang out many moments later, when the first rays of sun sparkled through the white rooster’s coop.
The race commenced with gripping intensity, the Florentine rider galloping with fervor through the Chianti region, while the Sienese rider followed suit.
The route was perilous, with twisting trails and rugged terrain. The legendary race was a fierce contest, each stride carrying the weight of history and the hopes of their city. But Nero’s early crow gave the Florence knight a head start over his opponent, who had to wait for the first light of day to start his race. In the end, the Siena knight rode for only 12 kilometres before meeting the Florence knight in the small village of Fonterutoli outside of Castellina in Chianti.
The black rooster on the Chianti bottle
Leonardo’s gambit had paid off, and the legend of the black rooster would be forever celebrated in the annals of Tuscany. The much coveted Chianti region became renowned for its fertile soil and ideal conditions for vineyards. Over the centuries, the wine produced in the Chianti region gained fame and recognition for its exceptional quality. And when Cosimo III de’ Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany issued a decree to protect the authenticity of Chianti wine in 1716, he officially delimited the Chianti wine-producing area, designating it as one of the world’s first protected wine-growing regions.
To ensure consumers could distinguish genuine Chianti wine from imitations, the Grand Duke ordered the use of a distinctive emblem on the bottles of authentic Chianti wine. The emblem featured a black rooster, known as “Gallo Nero” in Italian, which is still used today on your favorite wine bottle in Tuscany. Look for Nero on your next trip to Italy!
