Chiantishire

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A characteristic estate in Tuscany

Chiantishire is an informal nickname given to an area of Tuscany, Italy, where many upper class British citizens have moved or usually spend their holidays.[1] The word is a late 20th century neologism and derives from Chianti, a red wine produced in central Tuscany, in particular in the provinces of Siena and Florence.[2] The location rose to prominence in the UK in the mid 1990s when then Prime Minister Tony Blair chose it as one of his preferred summer retreats.[3] Celebrities that have owned properties in the area include Sting, Bryan Ferry, Antonio Banderas and Richard Gere.[4] Although still widely favoured, it has lost some of its appeal in the early 2010s due to it becoming popular with sometime boorish rich Russian tourists and their swaggering attitude.[5] The Foreign & Commonwealth Office estimated in 2012 that there were 28,000 Britons living in Italy.[6]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Chiantishire". Retrieved 18 November 2013. 
  2. ↑ "Tasting wine in the Chiantishire". Retrieved 18 November 2013. 
  3. ↑ "Blair family's Tuscany break". Retrieved 18 November 2013. 
  4. ↑ "Looking for a house in the country? Try Chiantishire". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2013. 
  5. ↑ "Bling comes to 'Chiantishire' as Russians invade Tuscany". Retrieved 18 November 2013. 
  6. ↑ "Spectrum IFA targets the Chiantishire market". Retrieved 19 November 2013. 

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