Chiantishire

Chiantishire is a nickname for 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 who have owned properties in the area include Sting, Bryan Ferry, Antonio Banderas and Richard Gere.[4] The novel, "Summer's Lease" by John Mortimer characterizes satirically the manners and mores of British expatriates in Chiantishire.[5]

A characteristic estate in Tuscany

The Foreign and 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". BBC News. 1 August 1998. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  4. "Looking for a house in the country? Try Chiantishire". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  5. Mortimer, John, "Summer's Lease," London, The Penguin Group, 1988
  6. "Spectrum IFA targets the Chiantishire market". Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.