A Rooftop Vineyard Is Coming to One of Italy's Airports

22.02.2024 - 11:31 / cntraveler.com / Conde Nast

Close your eyes and picture Tuscany, and chances are hazy romantic landscapes, cloud-grazing cypress trees and billowing hills laced with endless grapevines will spring to mind. A haven for oenophiles, the region is renowned for its prestigious wines, from Chianti and Bolgheri to Brunello di Montalcino—travelers headed to the Tuscan territories are, more often than not, ready and willing to spend their holiday taste-testing their way through bottles (crates?) of the region’s finest.

Many of those visiting Tuscany fly into the region’s capital, often opting to stay a night or two in a delightful hotel in Florence to spend some time looking at the city’s spectacular array of art, architecture and culture before venturing out into the verdant lands beyond. In January 2024 alone, Florence airport saw 1,985 flights, and in 2023 saw more than three million passengers on their journeys. With the hope of drawing in more travelers and further connecting passengers with the region’s deep relationship with wine, the city has announced an overhaul of its international terminal, complete with a new design, a re-oriented runway and, best of all, a rooftop vineyard.

The 19-acre vineyard will gently slope upwards, evoking the rolling Tuscan hills in the distance. There will be 38 vines in total, each measuring approximately nine feet wide and ranging from 1,500 to 1,870 feet lengthways. Between each vine, a 4-foot-wide skylight will allow shafts of light to flood the terminal below. Grapes will be harvested by leading vintners in the region, produced and aged in cellars on-site. From sight-seeing spots in the capital city, the airport will no longer act as an eyesore—instead, travelers will be able to spot the vineyard hiding the terminal below, an emblem of the region’s vast wine history. The new runway will allow more flights to operate from the airport, and the newly designed 538,000-square-foot terminal will increase capacity for passengers inside, too—the architectural agency behind the project predicts that the airport will be able to hold more than 5.9 million international passengers. The airport is expected to open its first phase in 2026, and the second in 2035.

A version of this article originally appeared on Condé Nast Traveller UK.