The stone of the Chianti, that stone with which castles, farmhouses, churches and important abbeys were built for a long period in the Middle Ages, is Alberese, a sandstone which is not the only stone used but one which distinguishes the building heritage of this territory.
Alberese is a rock, containing a large amount of calcite that can be easily recognized by a very fine, friable grain and a whitish color, often heightened by dark streaks varying in tone that range from ivory white to iron grey. The medieval building fabric was constructed with this stone. Hence, the pointed and rounded arches of the early Romanesque churches, the resistant fortresses, attenuated by the light tones of Alberese, the same light tones found on the farmhouses. Later, new ideas came from Florence. Early signs of the Renaissance began to appear on the palaces of the Signori which were often sumptuous country villas covered with plaster, with windows and doors framed with pietra serena. On the one hand, these solutions added more color to the landscape, but on the other, there was something superfluous coming from the city to a territory which had been identified only by solid stone walls. The new Florentine architecture gradually imposed itself even if numerous contemporary buildings preserved their rustic stone facades.

For further detail please visit the following sections:

Countrymen, Landlords, and Churches

The Origins of Chianti: The Journey Begins

Houses of Chianti