We are near the year 500 BC, an Etruscan artist is working bronze, nearby is a terracotta glass filled with wine…
…we are in the settlement Caletra, now known as Marsiliana, and the masterpiece our sculptor will produce is the beautiful Chimera, that today, after 2500 years, is our company symbol and logo.
This is how we like to imagine the history of La Chimera, which has inspired and led us to dedicate our company to a people of which we still know very little; a people still shrouded in mystery of the past millennia.
For the Etruscans, Tuscany was a paradise. Between 1000 and 800 BC, the mysterious and fascinating Etruscan civilization flourished here. Still to this day we do not know the exact origin of these people and their language remains impenetrable. What we do know is the Etruscans were a particular population, who fed on fruits grown in the fertile Tuscan lands, and most of all nurtured their spirit with art and culture. Today we see their traces in our countryside and forests, the silent keepers of their secrets.
Our inspiration comes from here, in thriving and nourishing Tuscany, in precise moments, perhaps at sunset or dawn, in a small village or on top of a hill. You can find yourself in a world far away in time, but recollections of our ancestors are close. This is why the Etruscans are still so present for us, for this magic.
And in the end, was it not the Etruscans who began the long Tuscan tradition of making wine? It’s worth noting the Etruscan wine was very different from what we drink today. Like the Romans, their wine was flavored with cheese peels and spices. This does not entice our modern palates, but the artifacts found in the famous Etruscan tombs indicate wine made in this way was a true delicacy, worthy enough to accompany imbibers in life, and in every moment after their death.
The wine we produce today is a wine to enjoy every day in life as well as special occasions. The production systems today are fortunately different, but the convivial purpose is the same, and it safe to say it will remain that way for centuries to come. After all, who has not dreamed of living in another era? We do it every day, with every bottle that is opened!
