43°35′03″N 11°18′57″E / 43.58417°N 11.31583°E / 43.58417; 11.31583
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]
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office estimated in 2012 that there were 28,000 Britons living in Italy.[6]