In 2019 the Franciacorta Consortium in collaboration with publisher Marco Serra Tarantola published “Le origini del Franciacorta nel Rinascimento Italiano”, (Franciacorta’s Origins in the Italian Renaissance), a book by Professor Gabriele Archetti, which illustrates the origins of Franciacorta and diffuses the history of Franciacorta wine, which has its roots in the Medieval era. In fact, while Franciacorta is well-known in the contemporary imaginary as being forged by the managerial nature of its entrepreneurs only from the latter half of the 1900s onward, it has deep historical roots which have shaped its identity making it one of the most important Italian wine territories that is also acclaimed abroad.
In what is today the Franciacorta territory, from Roman times to the late ancient era, and on to the Middle Ages, pedoclimatic conditions have always favoured viticulture, making it therefore a constant. This awareness led to the desire to reconstruct the origin of the territory, which began with the cloistered estates and the Benedictine curtes francae of abbeys such as Santa Giulia of Brescia and its contingents in Timoline, Borgonato, Iseo and Cellatica, toponyms that are still found in the Franciacorta region. In keeping with what occurred in the most important wine territories in the world, this calling was recognised, anticipated and nurtured by skilled Benedictine monks who, as custodians and disseminators of knowledge, were also the first to interact with the land in order to ensure their livelihoods.
The book’s introduction contains the valuable contribution of renowned enogastronomic critic Andrea Grignaffini, who introduces the reader to the history of Franciacorta. Since 2021 the book has been available at Serra Tarantola in Via Fratelli Porcellaga 4 in Brescia, in bookshops in Franciacorta and in Italy at the recommended retail price of €15; it is also available online on Amazon.
