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Chiantishire

Coordinates: 43°35′03″N 11°18′57″E / 43.58417°N 11.31583°E / 43.58417; 11.31583
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43°35′03″N 11°18′57″E / 43.58417°N 11.31583°E / 43.58417; 11.31583

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 Polly Toynbee, Sting, Bryan Ferry, Antonio Banderas and Richard Gere.[4]

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office estimated in 2012 that there were 28,000 Britons living in Italy.[5]

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. ^ "Spectrum IFA targets the Chiantishire market". Retrieved 19 November 2013.