Franca Franzoni & Simona Pappalardo

<div class="element element-textarea element-textareapro first"> <p data-start="132" data-end="519">In 2021, master beekeeper <strong data-start="158" data-end="177">Franca Franzoni</strong>, long known as the “Queen Bee” of Chianti, passed her apiary to her protégé <strong data-start="254" data-end="275">Simona Pappalardo</strong>, ensuring the continuation of a deeply rooted tradition. Franca’s farm sits near the village of Polo, just south of Florence, surrounded by wildflowers, acacia groves, and chestnut trees — a landscape that shapes the character of each harvest.</p> <p data-start="521" data-end="917">Simona approaches beekeeping as a partnership with nature. Hives are thoughtfully placed near seasonal blooms, allowing the bees to forage from specific floral sources while maintaining a clean, pure expression of the land. From the careful crafting of wax frames in spring to the gentle centrifuge extraction of the honeycomb, every step honors traditional methods and the rhythm of the seasons.</p> <p data-start="919" data-end="1140">The honey is allowed to settle and mellow before bottling, resulting in a luminous, artisan nectar that reflects both the Tuscan landscape and the stewardship behind it — floral, expressive, and deeply connected to place.</p> </div>