Antica Macelleria Cecchini – Panzano, Chianti, Toscana

This is not a post about poetry, but it begins with poetry from Dante and Cavafy, as they are the favourite Italian and Greek poets of Dario Cecchini, who is the youngest in many Cecchini generations continuing the tradition and the culture of meat eating in Tuscay.

“Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,
che la diritta via era smarrita.”

In the middle of the journey of our life I found myself in a dark wood for the straight way was lost.

Dante, Inferno, Canto I

“I was not bound. I let myself go completely; went
To those indulgences, half actual,
And half were turned about in my own brain;
Went into the illuminated night;
And drank strong wines, as when
The champions of pleasure drink strong wine.”

Δεν εδεσμεύθηκα. Τελείως αφέθηκα κ’ επήγα.
Στες απολαύσεις, που μισό πραγματικές,
μισό γυρνάμενες μες στο μυαλό μου ήσαν,
επήγα μες στην φωτισμένη νύχτα.
Κ’ ήπια από δυνατά κρασιά, καθώς
που πίνουν οι ανδρείοι της ηδονής.

Costantine Cavafy, I went

This is how I started a post in my old website, in 2006. The subject of the post was Dario Cecchini’s Antica Macelleria in Panzano, a small village in the Chianti hills of Toscana.

PANZANO_600

A few days ago I was able and fortunate to visit Dario again, and this post is dedicated to him and his wife. Kim.

dario_kimDario is one of the most celebrated butchers in Tuscany, Italy and the world. He is a gentle, polite (in the true meaning of the word) and sofisticated man who obliges you with his nobility.

Dario is a man who knows his destiny and has nothing to do with all the celebrity crap that has spread in our world. as a dicease. Dario is happy with what he is, and is extremely proud of it . His wife, Kim, an American who has now become a real Tuscan, is also a splendid example of why life can be beautiful as long as there is happiness and love.

On a Saturday morning, Kim, the wife of a celebrity, wears her apron and starts serving the customers of the butcher shop. This is her life and she is proud of it.

inside2The display of the shop is partial in the sense that it cannot hold all the goods that Dario can supply you with. But from this photo and the next you can get a pretty good idea of what is at store. On Saturday morning I spoke with a couple from Salzburg, Austria, who were doing their shopping on their way home. I was doing the same!

inside3Dario was kind enou to cut a generous slice of the delicious rolled panceta and pack it for me to have a nice snack on the way back home.panceta

What a man!

bistecaBut the real hero of the visit was the Bisteca Fiorentina that Dario proudly holds and which is now resting in my fridge, waiting for the magic time to grill it. There is no other meat like this, believe me! I will prove it to you in my next post, but until then you have to wait.

kim_pictureKim here is proudly displaying one of my watercolour pictures of Symi, that I brought to Dario and her as a sign of friendship and appreciation.

antica_entranceLucky those of you who will enter this door!

Thank you Dario and Kim, see you soon!

Un abbraccio.

P.S. This is not the end of the visit to Kim and Dario! The next installement is coming to you in the very near future!