The Carro Matto tradition

On the last weekend of September, Rufina – a town that has long been a wine-producing area – celebrates the Bacco Artigiano festival.
This festival coincides with the blessing of the wine in Florence, where the ‘Carro matto’ arrives, carrying the flasks – hundreds of straw-wrapped flasks – right into the city.

But let’s see how this intriguing event came about:
Rufina is the heart of Chianti Rufina DOCG production, the smallest of the seven Chianti sub-regions, with production spread across the municipalities of Pontassieve, Rufina, Londa, Pelago and Dicomano. Rufina wine has been recognised as excellent since as far back as the 15th century.

Traditionally, the flasks from an entire wine cellar were loaded onto an ox-drawn cart, with as many as two thousand flasks being transported. During the Florentine Republic, a huge pyramid was erected to mark the arrival of the new wine: after receiving a blessing at the church on Via dei Calzaioli, dedicated to St Michael, the patron saint of wine merchants, the wine was taken to the Palazzo della Signoria, where the gonfaloniere, together with the priors, raised a toast to the health of the Florentine people.

The arrival of the float – known as the Crazy Float due to its unusual appearance – and the subsequent blessing are still re-enacted today. A historical procession of the Florentine Republic welcomes the float, followed by performances by the musicians of the Historical Procession of the Florentine Republic and the Uffizi Flag-Bearers.

Throughout the year, the cart can be viewed at the Museum of Vine and Wine at Villa Spalletti in Poggio Reale, Rufina