The origins of Franciacorta

in the Italian Renaissance

GABRIELE ARCHETTI
I n t ro d u c t i o n b y Ke r i n O ’ Ke e f e
INTRODUCTION
Silvano Brescianini
President of Consorzio Franciacorta

“The cultivation of the vine represents a characteristic

feature of the production of the Lombard territory
called Franciacorta, where a viticultural crop specialized
in hilly area is documented since the early Middle Ages.
In particular the monastic and episcopal documentation
allow us to identify also the grape varieties, white and red,
which have been produced and sold since the very end of
the XII century “.
So writes Prof. Gabriele Archetti in “Vite e vino nel
medioevo-Note storiche sul territorio bresciano”(Arti
Edition of 2017), a document of great importance on the
history of wine in Franciacorta.

The decision to involve Prof. Archetti in the realization of

a synthesis - which you will find here with the precious
introduction by our dear Friend Andrea Grignaffini - was
born precisely from that book, and from the desire to
mention and share the deep enological roots of our land,
Franciacorta.

I thank Professor Archetti and Andrea Grignaffini because

they enthusiastically welcomed this project following it
with great professionalism and I thank the reader who will
dedicate himself to the reading of this journey to discover
Franciacorta in the Renaissance.
 Nature
“
has given nothing
“
more useful
than wine to man

Girolamo Conforti
“Libellus de vino mordaci”
Brescia 1570
4 5
 its successful efforts to distinguish itself from among
the world’s traditionally-crafted, sparkling wines.
I’ve been trying Franciacorta since I moved to
Italy years ago, and the changes that I’ve witnessed,
especially in just the last decade alone, have
been remarkable. Today there’s much more focus
on choosing the best vineyard sites as well as
a denomination-wide commitment to organic

FRANCIACORTA: viticulture and organic wines. There’s also the

ROOTS AND REBIRTH extremely positive and growing trend of using less
dosage or even skipping it altogether. These combined
Kerin O’Keefe factors have resulted in today’s focused, elegantly
structured Franciacortas that express their distinctive
If there’s a still secret jewel waiting growing zone.
to be discovered by the international
wine world, it’s Franciacorta from
Lombardy. A world-class, bottle- But far from being just a Modern Day success story,
fermented sparkler (called Metodo the denomination is a descendent of a centuries-
Classico in Italian), it boasts pedigree old tradition of viticulture geared toward quality
and style. While well known in wine production.
Italy, only a little more than 11%
of Franciacorta’s annual production
of 17.6 million bottles is currently Roots
exported around the world. However, Franciacorta as we know it today is a relatively
this number is destined to increase recent phenomenon, created between 1955 and
as the denomination continues the early 1960s, when a young enologist named

6 7
Franco Ziliani boldly suggested the idea of of Franciacorta in the Italian Renaissance.
making a Metodo Classico to aristocratic land Thanks to this book, we get a better understanding
owner and wine producer Guido Berlucchi. of the unique growing area and how centuries
Berlucchi accepted the challenge, and the two of winemaking paved the way for contemporary
teamed up to make a traditional method sparkling Franciacorta.
wine in what was then an area producing exclusively
still table wines. After some trial and error,
their first vintage was 1961. The following year, Prof. Archetti cites documents from the Middle
the dynamic duo made what is credited as Italy’s Ages that demonstrate the importance of wine
first Metodo Classico Rosé. Their success caught production on local farming and on the Franciacorta
the attention of other local growers and producers economy. Among the most significant are
as well as outside investors, and eventually led to monastic documents from the influential women’s
the creation of Franciacorta DOC (Denominazione abbey of Santa Giulia in Brescia hailing from
di Origine Controllata) in 1967. This was followed the 8th and 9th centuries that identify the best
by DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata vineyard sites of the Benedictine Monastery.
e Garantita) recognition in 1995, when Franciacorta Situated between Lake Iseo and Brescia, these
became regulated under the strictest quality vineyards were directly controlled by the nuns.
controls in Italy. Modern Day zoning studies, including soil analysis,
have confirmed that the best sites today are those
that were already identified by the monastic
Despite being created in the 1960s, Franciacorta’s community hundreds of years ago.
vinous roots, including a focus on making
quality wine, are actually ancient, as Professor
Gabriele Archetti, Professor of Medieval History By the 11th century, records show that grape-
at Milan’s Sacred Heart Catholic University, vine cultivation was increasing significantly and
points out in this new publication, The Origin expanding up to the hilly areas with better exposition.

8 9
 The same records also indicate a focus on higher
quality, specialized viticulture; an idea that
was light-years ahead of its time when compared
to the traditional coltura promiscua, or mixed
cultivation of crops and viticulture that lasted
well into the first half of the 20th century
throughout Italy. Besides descriptions of preparing
terrain for specialized vineyards, these archives
further reveal, unsurprisingly, that grapes
planted in the Middle Ages were pre-phylloxera
varieties that were completely different from what is
planted now in Franciacorta.

Prof. Archetti makes the case that there is some

historical basis to affirm a tradition of producing
effervescent, or to be more precise, ‘lively’ wines
in the area as far back as the Middle Ages.
Perhaps the best description of these wines is that
they weren’t entirely still. And while they pre-dated
bottle fermentation, these invigorating offerings
were none-the-less the product of a specific wine
making technique.

10 11
One historical publication that leads to this
hypothesis is Libellus de vino mordaci that was
published in 1570 by Girolamo Conforti, a physician
from Brescia. As Archetti points out, Conforti wrote
his treatise from a medical standpoint, not from an
enological perspective. Conforti opened his essay by
highly praising wine and underlying its importance in
daily life by stating, “Nature has given man nothing
more useful than wine.” However, the doctor also
referred to the ‘biting’ young wines that while greatly
appreciated by the people, were deemed ‘dangerous’ on the subject. One of the most important figures
to one’s health by the medical standards of the day. in Renaissance agronomy and on viticulture, Gallo
described in great detail a technique for making
cisiolo, a local white wine made from black-skinned
While the Libellus seems on one hand, albeit with grapes that remained “fizzy” and “sweet” for months.
a flexible interpretation, to be an affirmative answer According to Gallo, cisiolo was “appreciated on the
to the question over whether there was a history tables of the Lombard aristocracy.”
of making fizzy wines in Franciacorta centuries
ago, the Professor surmises that the mordace wine
described in Libellus was however “significantly The practice entailed immediately separating the
different” when compared to today’s Franciacorta and must from the just-pressed grapes and letting
to “any wine with bubbles”. them ‘boil’ or ferment for a brief period before
being put into small barrels. The barrels were
reinforced with iron bands and water-proofed
Key works written by scholar Agostino Gallo with animal fat on the outside. To block the
who had holdings around Brescia shed more light fermentation, the barrels were then submerged in

12 13
14 15
water or left at the bottom of a well before being These days, Franciacorta is often compared to
brought to the cellars to rest. The result was a foaming, Champagne because the two wines use the same
rather sweet wine that by all accounts was very much bottle-fermentation method and primary grape
enjoyed. According to Gallo, this practice wasn’t new varieties. But the comparisons end there and today
among Brescian farmers and this statement is backed the best Franciacortas have their own identity.
up by archives dating from the 13th and The combination of avant-garde winemakers, their
14th centuries. wide-scale commitment to organic viticulture, an
increased focus on reducing (and even eliminating)
dosage and promising experiments with a recently
It’s important to note that even though these revived native grape are yielding stunning, terroir-
‘biting wines’ weren’t the bubbles we know today, driven sparklers.
these reports represent what Archetti defines as
“the first scientific codification of a non-still wine
(even if not in a bottle)”. And that already in the Unique growing area
Middle Ages, thanks to innovations in fermentation This relatively small area has historically been
techniques, “a ‘fizzy’ wine was being created” in the called Franciacorta, a derivation of Curtes Francae,
hills Franciacorta. referring to the zone’s 13th century tax-free
trade status. Designating a stretch of land between
Brescia and Lake Iseo, the name Franciacorta
Even more importantly, Archetti’s research and first appeared in documents from 1266 and 1277
text disclose that there is a long, solid tradition of and today the denomination encompasses 19
inventive winemaking in Franciacorta, and that townships in Lombardy’s Brescia province. Retreating
above all this small geographical area has long been glaciers created Franciacorta’s amphitheater-
known for the quality of its wines. shaped growing zone and left behind mineral-rich
soils of morainic origin. Bordering with Lake
Iseo in the north, the rolling hills benefit from a

16 17
 warm, almost Mediterranean microclimate tempered
by cooling breezes that descend from foothills
M o n te I s o l a
of the Rhaetian Alps further to the northeast.

Sulzano

Besides its vicinity to the lake, Franciacorta’s

P i l zo n e micro-climate is a result of winds originating
L AGO D ’I S EO
S a r n i co from the nearby mountains. These strong breezes
Cl u s a n e IS EO Po l a ve n o bring fresh air at night, generating pronounced
PA R ATI CO
day and night temperature changes that encourage
Crem i gn an e TORBIERE
optimal grape ripening. The winds also helpkeep
DEL M. Co gn o l o Gaina
M.Alto

grapes healthy, which assists the denomination’s

Co l o m baro SEBINO
P i an o
me Ogli o Timoline del l e vi ti Foina
C A PR I O LO CO RTE Brione
PROVAG L IO
FR A N C A
N i go l i n e
B o n o m el l i
D ’ISEO
P rovezze
MONTICELLI
BRUSATI
producers who practice organic viticulture. Organic
A farming in the area began in 1998, when the Barone
OME
Pizzini firm switched to organic viticulture and for
B o rgo n ato
AADRO
D RO
PALAZZOLO
Camignone
San Pancrazio
Torbiato Mo n tero to n do years this was Franciacorta’s only organic winery.
Z occo
RO D EN G O
Navezze
Fast-forward to today and nearly 70% of the
SA I A N O
denomination’s vineyards are either certified organic
A4
ER B U S CO PAS S IR ANO
Padergnone Ronco
zzolo Stella
B o r n ato
Oglio
Vil l a
Pe de rgn an o
Cal i n o

PA D ER N O
or in the conversion process.
La Co s ta FR A N C I ACO RTA G US SAG O C EL L ATI C A
CAZ Z AG O
COLOG N E M.Orfan
M . O r fa n oo SAN M ART INO Colleb eato

B arco
ROVATO

CO CC AG L IO B R ES C I A
ROVATO OSPITALETTO Franciacorta boasts rich fruit flavors, a result of the
O s p italet to Mandolossa
overall balmy climate, while loose, Morainic soils ensure
A4
MILANO
VENEZIA
Franciacorta is never too high in alcohol. Though they
Chiari
VENEZIA
offer great freshness, they don’t have the aggressive
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
acidity of many sparklers hailing from cooler climates.

18 19
Like wine producers across the globe, Franciacorta’s
growers and winemakers are noticing the effects
of climate change, with warmer, drier summers
pushing acidity levels lower. Vineyard management
is crucial, especially working the soil to encourage
roots to reach further down to water and nutrients
far below the surface. Managing the leaf canopy to
protect grapes from sunburn and encourage optimal
photosynthesis is also fundamental. Experiments
with a recently revived native grape, Erbamat, is also
showing promise in raising acidity levels. Chardonnay imparts fruit, elegance and richness.
Thanks to the growing zone’s microclimate,
Chardonnay delivers juicy, yellow stone fruit
Grapes flavors that become more tropical in warmer years.
Chardonnay is the undisputed Queen of Franciacorta It’s the main grape in most Franciacortas but plays
– accounting for over 80% of the 3,101 ha the major role in Satèn, the soft, creamy sparkler
(7,662 acres) of the denomination’s vineyards – made only with white grapes and lower bottle
followed by Pinot Nero (15%) and Pinot Bianco pressure. A registered trademark of Franciacorta,
(5%). A number of producers are investing most producers use exclusively Chardonnay for Satèn
in Erbamat, a rare grape native to the Brescia area, although a few also blend with a little Pinot Bianco.
that’s showing promising results in raising acidity Pinot Nero on the other hand lends the wines
levels, which is becoming increasingly important as structure, depth and personality. A number of
higher summer temperatures and drought become wineries are increasing their Pinot Nero plantings
more common across the globe. but since it’s a fickle, sensitive grape, it can
only be cultivated in select areas that offer just
the right growing conditions.

20 21
 Most producers have eliminated Pinot Bianco.
Some say it’s too difficult to cultivate while
others maintain it’s too neutral, but a few of
my favorite Franciacortas have Pinot Bianco in
the blend. In its best expressions, Pinot Bianco
lends floral aromas and citrusy notes that can
intensify Franciacorta’s finesse.

As part of a campaign to forge its own identity

and to combat the effects of climate change,
the Consorzio and several producers have
been jointly experimenting with native grape
Erbamat, which was already cited by Agostino
Gallo in his Renaissance writings under its name
back then, Albamatte. In contrast to early ripening
varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot
Bianco, Erbamat is a late ripening variety,
with higher acidity levels. A few years ago I had
a fascinating tasting of several experimental
sparklers made with varying amounts of Erbamat
and they revealed added vibrancy and intriguingly
focused mineral sensations. Starting with the
2017 vintage, up to 10% Erbamat can be used.
Unfortunately, the devastating frosts of April
2017 damaged many of the young plants,

22 23
but producers haven’t been deterred and more per liter of sugar, but most producers keep levels
plantings and clonal research are well underway. far below, around 7 grams, with some even lower.
One of the most compelling movements in the
denomination is the increasing number of Dosage
Styles Zero bottlings. Thanks to the area’s favorable growing
Franciacorta comes in several categories. While Satèn conditions, grapes usually reach ideal maturation
is made with only white grapes and rosé must have a that makes relying on dosage for added optional but
minimum of 35% Pinot Nero, the different versions necessary. The array of names for this style, including
are determined by how much time the wine stays on Pas Dosé, Dosaggio Zero and Nature may be a bit
its lees during secondary bottle fermentation. The confusing, but the best are bone-dry, with an almost
non-vintage Franciacorta must spend a minimum of knife-like precision. Boasting structure and finesse,
18 months on the lees, Satèn and Rosé at least 24 they’re loaded with energy, flavor and character,
months, vintage wines a minimum of 30 months featuring pristine fruit and savory mineral notes.
while Riservas at least 60 months. Vibrant, non-
vintage Franciacorta is the quintessential bottling, Of all the different versions, Dosaggio Zero is the
perfect for an aperitivo while vintage bottlings purest expressions of Franciacorta’s terroir.
and especially the Riservas, boast complexity
and longevity.
Kerin O’Keefe

Dosage
Franciacorta’s different styles also depend on their
dosage – the mix of base wine and sugar – added
after disgorging. Zero Dosage is the driest while
Demi-sec is the sweetest. Brut – the most common
and versatile of the range – allows for up to 12 grams

24 25
Kerin O’Keefe is an award-winning author and wine critic.
Born and raised north of Boston, she graduated with honors
from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst where she
earned a degree in English literature.

Shortly after graduating, she moved to Italy where she became

a certified sommelier. She began writing about Italian wine
in the early 2000s and has been the Italian Editor for Wine
Enthusiast Magazine since April 2013. Before this, she
wrote regularly on Italian wine for Decanter and World of
Fine Wine and was a Contributing Editor for Wine News
Magazine from 2003 until 2009.

She is the author of three books: Franco Biondi Santi,

Il gentleman del Brunello (2004, Veronelli Editore. She also
penned the English version in 2005.), Brunello di Montalcino
– Understanding and Appreciating One of Italy’s Greatest
Wines (University of California Press, 2012) and Barolo and
Barbaresco – The King and Queen of Italian Wine (University of
California Press, 2014).

O’Keefe has won several awards for her work: her book
on Franco Biondi Santi, The Gentleman of Brunello
is a recipient of a Gourmand Wine Books Award. In
2008 she was awarded the Premio Consorzio Brunello
di Montalcino for her cover article “Brunello de-con-
structed” in the Oct-Nov 2007 issue of The Wine News
and in 2016 she won the Premio Collio for her article,
Collio’s Crown Jewels, published in the April issue of
Wine Enthusiast. She was named Honorary Knight by the
Ordine dei Cavalieri del Tartufo e dei Vini di Alba in 2017.
In 2019, she became the first Voice of Barbaresco.

26 27
28 29
 “
Wine makes
“
the heart of man
happy

From the book of Psalms

Pslam 104,15
“Bible”
W
FRANCIACORTA:
FROM THE LAND
TO WINE

With the onset of the 20th century, these studies

began increasing their reach into ecclesiastical
institutions through the launch of research
on deaneries, parishes, religious foundations,
and more specifically, on larger monasteries.

Because of this new area of focus, especially

across the extensive cloisters and in
the Benedictine Abbeys such as Santa Giulia
Within the region of Franciacorta, of Brescia and the Cluniac Priories, there was
particularly within the second a decision to concentrate on the origins
half of the 19th century, historical of the Franciacorta area, as its boundaries
and scholarly contributions increased seemed to be closely linked to current politics
significantly with a large focus on the and medieval society.
territory’s roots and culture in an effort
to create a sense of national unity.

32 33
 A renewed interest in this territory arose Paratico, Passirano, Provaglio d’Iseo,
again toward the end of the 1960s, thanks Rodengo-Saiano and Rovato. The other towns in
to the influx of Transalpine “nouvelle histoire” the area were excluded because, due to historic
and the attention on regional municipalism and political-administrative traditions along with
which continued to gain hold in the definition geographic placement, they had played a role not only
of this new national Italian profile. In 1967, in the medieval ages but also in the modern age.
this attention, from an economic-productive
point of view, solidified in the ministerial
decree which then became the Guidelines This was, without question, not the first time
for the Production of Controlled and Guaranteed that the region had been divided internally.
Denomination Wines under the “Franciacorta” The first use of the Franciacorta name in the
name. It was herein, the historical and geographic archival papers, are, though not before
boundaries of the region, that the concept of the 13th century, enough proof to dismiss
Franciacorta evolved and took on a new institutional the fantastical hypotheses that attempt to assign it
and regulatory connotation, surpassing historical with an even older ancestry. What remains is one
attribution, and became part of the collective section of a territory that is partly different from
consciousness. its current status. In fact, it was not the Monastic
“French Courts” that created the political backdrop,
but rather the relationships between the cities and the
Because of this evolution, the term “Franciacorta” rural areas.
began to identify not just that area to the west
of the province of Brescia bordered by the Mella
and Oglio rivers, by Lake Iseo and by the Morainal The oldest documents that include the word
Alpine foothills to the north and the high Padana Franciacorta are a procedural document dated to
Plains and Mount Orfano to the south, but even somewhere around 1266 and a clause from the
more so it was a list of the towns included Statutes of Brescia dated 1277 which records
under the vinicultural guidelines. a situation that occurred a few years prior. Various
The following towns were included within rural communities, located beyond the Mella river
the governmental outline: Adro, Capriolo, heading toward Lake Iseo, were ordered to repair
Cazzago San Martino, Cellatica, Coccaglio, the Mandolossa Canal “for their use [that is, by the
Cologne, Corte Franca, Erbusco, Gussago, Iseo, town and citizens of Brescia] and for all the friends
Monticelli Brusati, Ome, Paderno Franciacorta, of Francia Curta as listed below.” The provisions

34 35
 were repeated by a subsequent civil statutory order Subsequently, with the assignment of Emperor
dated 1280, found in the city’s Liber potheris of the Federico Barbarossa’s autonomy over those towns
13th century, where the refacing and maintenance along the Lega Lombarda, the city was authorized to
of the Crotte Bridge over the Mella river, during extend its jurisdiction into the surrounding territory,
winter, were assigned to those towns located along the that is, into the ancient comitatus or county. It was
Pedemontanara Roadway that ledfrom the outer city during this time and within the same economic-
limits to the Valcamonica in exchange for significant administrative and socio-political context, that the
tax exemptions. region of Franciacorta was created, along with its
initial territorial boundaries.

This means that in the 13th century,

the region of Franciacorta included those towns These boundaries were established to ensure that the
along the strata nova heading to Iseo which, city would have supplies of raw materials from the
from the western border with Brescia, ran alongside valley (iron, partially worked goods, wood, animals,
the lake and continued toward Valcamonica, wool, dairy products, etc.), safety for merchandise and
beginning from Collebeato and Urago people traveling in the area, and the maintenance of
and ending up at Iseo and Zone. This was in line travel routes, including the bridge over the Mella river
with the urban expansion policies of the area which allowed access into the city from the direction
following the Peace of Constance (1183). of Sebino. While these boundaries responded to the

36 37
 demands of urban supplies, which were different These boundaries continued to exclude the Sebino
from today’s demands, other decisions were made by area and the shared valleys, which were considered
political authorities outside of the Brescia area and the foundations of the “separated lands,”
were determined by the changing needs of territorial such as the pianura, and no longer applied the
control. These other decisions came about when, economic-commercial context which had originally
still during the middle ages, the Viscounts of Milan been assigned to the city of Brescia.
enlarged their reign over Brescia during the first
half of the 14th century and divided the occupied
territory into new administrative and fiscal districts. Without unityor a political center,
Franciacorta continued autonomously
across the centuries, even though
These intermediary jurisdictional districts, so called a Venetian source indicated that in the
“quads,” included numerous minor residential 15th century, the only possible
centers or rural communities, leaving the immediate “caput Francecurte” was
surrounding areas of Lake Iseo, the pianura and the in the town of Rovato.
mountains, to themselves. Because of these divisions,
Franciacorta was included within the “quads”
of Gussago and Rovato. The towns of these same
names acted as district capitals, though they never
had a single geographic, administrative or political
center of reference. After 1426, when the Republic
of Venice, the Serenissima, took over control of
Brescia from Milan, it continued this division and
maintained it until its dissolution in 1797. It was
during this renewed organization that the two initial
“quads” were joined by the Palazzolo quad,
which created the boundariesusing the Brescia
border against those of the Bergamo border,
along the Oglio river.

38 39
A
makes it impossible to understand how it was
AN ANCIENT cultivated, the extension of what was cultivated, the
VINICULTURE vineyard varieties, wine diversity and, obviously,
consumption. It is easy to note, though, how a
large part of the historic summaries associated with
Among agricultural crops, vineyards take on a antiquity, as seen in tourist guides, presented in
central role in the farming culture of the Lombardy the numerous “histories” of wine (even those of
area so much so, that from the beginning higher levels), or by any of the websites specifically
of the middle ages it characterizes associated with the territory, especially commercial
the Franciacorta economy. The vine remains websites, do not venture far from generic or
a constant from prehistoric times, as seen anecdotal type musings.
in the fossil findings of vitis vinifera.
Still, the absence of other documents
In contrast, research over the last few decades
has shed light on significant findings regarding
the medieval period, that when compared to the

40 41
 Italian and European ampelography, they outline from the first few years of the 10th century, the
very different developments of the area. The most quantity of wine obtained in the dominicum was
important new information came, first, from greater than the amount produced across all
monastic documents. These were especially found of the other Dominican monastic holdings spread
in those of the powerful women’s abbey of Santa throughout Italy. These specialized production units
Giulia of Brescia where records between the 8th were located in Brazago (the urban areas beyond
and 9th centuries identify the best vineyards of the Mella river), Griliano (the hills of Gussago),
the Benedictine Monastery along the slopes of the Timoline (Corte Franca), Canelle (Erbusco),
Morainal hills which run from Lake Iseo to the Borgonato (Corte Franca), Iseo, Castegnato
gateways of Brescia. and Cellatica.

These were vineyards located inside the curtes These farmlands and vineyard plantings, already
(holdings), that is, very extensive agricultural lands much earlier than the year 1000, had been
where vines were among the most prevalent crops established in areas where vineyard cultivation
and strongly concentrated in those areas that were was plentiful, finding significant confirmation
under direct control of the nuns. In the detailed in recent years through zoning studies conducted
asset inventory noted as “polittico”, a parchment by agronomists and geologists. A comparison
scroll measuring various meters in length dating of soil analysis with archival data found that

42 43
 the best sites for vineyards coincided with those (Badia), but also those already in place (Santa Giulia
worked by the Benedictine Colonies. This means di Brescia, San Benedetto di Leno, San Faustino
that direct empirical experimentation favored Maggiore or San Cosma e Damiano di Brescia), as
the acquisition of necessary informational well as Episcopalian and lay people, offer an accurate
competencies to increase the productive outline of this farming practice.
potential of the various terrains A mapping allowed tracking of the incredible range
and identification of the most suitable cultural sites. of viticulture and a recording of the financial value.
It suffices to remember that the funds raised from
duties associated with wine were the second item,
This does not mean that vineyards were not after grains, listed as income in the city’s financial
spread elsewhere, but rather that in these zones, statement.
identified also in large part within the Guidelines
of 1967, written documentation confirms
the continuity of a cultivation over centuries It was during this process that the terms ronco
that rarely finds such ancient and uninterrupted and roncare take on a technical meaning to indicate
historical records. a forested or unfarmed area which has been tilled
for planting as a vineyard and its presence in the
archival documents becomes synonymous with
With the economic renewal of the 11th century “vineyard terrain,” or rather “vineyard”. This was
and subsequent demographic development, always a financially advantageous investment
vineyards underwent strong growth. At the same because, among the various crops, the vineyard was
time, vineyard expansion into the Pedemontana always considered to be the highest earner.
area, especially in those better exposed hilly areas,
was focused on an early production focused
at a higher level compared to the traditional
mixed viticulture.

The economic-patrimonial sources associated with

the Cenobitic foundations, the new ones arising
from Cluny (Rodengo, Cazzago, Provaglio, Clusane,
San Paolo del lago, etc.) and from Vallombrosa

44 45
 From 1170 – 1180, new vines were introduced
from the Balkan and eastern regions, differing from
the local native varieties. This is first due to the
schiava, and then due to the groppello, which were
soon after joined by luglienga, vernaccia, trebbiano,
marzemino and then malvasia, moscatello and so on.

under specialized cultivation. The local topography

These were pre-Phylloxera varieties which are not confirms the wide-spread extension of tilling and
easily traced or comparable to today’s varieties. the name of the vines accounts for the farming of
The information gathered is largely confirmed specialized crops that were very profitable.
both in the documentation from secular
aristocracy as well as in the ecclesiastical archives,
not to mention documents from larger noble Justification of this development, at times
families,city halls, episcopate, town centers imposing and unorganized, came
and monastic and religious foundations. from growing market demands linked
to the increase in civil needs based
on demographic growth.
The larger pioneering in varietal findings involves, The hilly areas surrounding
the schiava vines and the nostrano production, the city at this point underwent
that is, a fermentation done with different grapes, such cultural pressure thatthe
that is from albi and vermigli vines, reds and whites, spread of the “ronco” or
which better responded to the era’s demands, “ronchi” toponym is still
especially in terms of quantity rather than applicable today.
quality, and were adapted to handle years of irregular
production.

The parchments from the Rodengo priory, for

example, track the progression of taking over
forested lands to till them for planting new vineyards

46 47
 This piece-meal distribution was productive up until The quality of the terrain, too, in its sun-drenched
the present day, with just a few setbacks, and only hills, the fields protected by the flanks
since the end of the 19th century in those less of Mount Orfano against the cold and humid
suitable areas, due to the decrease in demographic winds that came off the plains, the soil conditions,
pressure. and the microclimate supported by the lake, all
of which combined uniquely that resulted in the
success of viticulture in Franciacorta.
Franciacorta’s cultural specialization can be found
in the multiple and voluminous documental data
that make it impossible to create a defined list: from
Adro to Borgonato, from Erbusco to Rodengo, from
Monticelli to Paratico, from Rovato to Timoline,
to Bornato, Calino, Cazzago, Camignone, Iseo,
Provaglio, Passirano, Paderno, Saiano, Ome,
Gussago, Coccaglio, Cologne, etc., the entire
middle ages represents the complete blossoming of a
cultivation that continues to be a unique section of
the entire territory.

In Franciacorta it wasn’t just vineyards that were

cultivated; in fact, vineyards were raised almost
everywhere, but its cultivation was specialized, and
the varieties were focused, compared to the rest of
the surrounding countryside.

48 49
T
kept pace, or rather was even encouraged,
by viticultural developments over the last half
WINE ACCORDING century, echoing what had already been written
TO CONFORTI
by Isean patriot and author Gabriele Rosa
(1812-1897) in the middle 1800s:
“No visitor to the most beautiful and gracious
areas of upper Italy, none of the oenophiles
of this part of our bel paese, [beautiful country]
can ignore the name and location of Franciacorta,”
This naturally privileged region, which has never failed,
where, “the greatest finding, without question,
led over the last few decades, to a rediscovery of the
is the wines which are made excellently
Libellus de vino mordaci, a 16th century treatise
and darkly, and whites and fresh that
from Brescian physician and scholar Girolamo Conforti
we call young and sweet”.
(1519-1595) and was printed in Brescia in 1570
by Tommaso Bozzola. The interest in the treatise has
Therefore, the cultural roots of these productions
are deep and justified in the history of cenobiums,
parishes, castles and of medieval towns,
surrounded by well cultivated vineyards

50 51
 and high-quality vines, as detailed above.
In considering the success of the “Franciacorta,”
however, it seems appropriate to ask whether
there has ever been a production of “bubbly,”
“young” or “biting” wine, however long ago
and different, but that may foreshadow
today’s wine. The findings in the ancient
Conforti document seem to be an affirmative
response, even if the contents of his work
seem to be true only partially.
In fact, production of this type of wine
has historic evidence and the consumption
of wine was already highly regarded
across the Brescia countryside back
in the middle ages.
At the same time, it is more complex
to consider that the medical-health
reasons outlined by the Brescian scholar
regarding the quality of the “biting” wine,
although greatly appreciated by the people
even in those times, were deemed by the medical
establishment to be “extremely dangerous
and toxic” to one’s health.
A degree of interpretation is needed here,
so as to avoid misunderstanding the statements
made by this doctor from Brescia.

“Nature has given man nothing more

useful than wine.” These are the encouraging
words of timeless knowledge and classical
agronomy that open the Libellus de vino
mordaci treatise by Girolamo Conforti,

52 53
54 55
 an important statement that explains
the value of the fermented grape during
the late Renaissance whose use,
on the coattails of ancient and medieval
convictions, went far beyond the primary
function of the beverage.
Wine, in effect, was considered no less than
a consumable that could not be substituted
in nutrition, a tonic and restorative
for growth, a disinfectant and relief
in pharmacopoeia, a means for relaxation
and socializing, and, thanks to its inebriating
qualities, an instrument when life
is overwhelming.
If one thinks, then, that drinking wine
is healthier than drinking water,
due to its alcoholic fermentation
and that its use was wide-spread across
all ages from infancy to the elderly,
it can be understood how the subject
of wine has always attracted the attention
of cultured people, of those in the sciences
and agronomy, including researchers
in medical areas.

To understand the content of the Libellus,

the theoretical principles and evaluation
criteria used in antiquity must be taken into
consideration, along with the understanding
that the view of wine and other foods was,
in part, different from ours, even though taste
and color were and still are, real parameters

56 57
 of reference used for assigning productive
and commercial classifications.
The Aristotelian physics vision of the nature
and its mechanisms were applicable here.
Without this theoretical basis, Conforti’s
arguments and evaluations that go beyond
the properties and qualities of the wines can,
at the most, appear “curious,” but they remain for example, a season marked by dry heat,
completely incomprehensible and abstruse. it was preferable to consume foods and drinks that
Beginning with the pre-Socratic philosophers, offered opposing humoral characteristics, that is,
the composition of the cosmos things that were cold and wet.
and materials was based on the theory This way, it would allow the body to reach,
of the four elements (earth, water, as much as possible, a “temperate” status,
air and fire) and in turn was modulated that is balanced, in response to the
according to the four qualities combination of the various elements.
(dry, humid,cold and hot). In the winter, on the other hand,
At the same time, the four humors, a person was to focus on foods
or body fluids (black bile, yellow bile, that were warm, to correct
phlegm, blood), influence human health one’s naturally cold status.
and temperament, based on the excess And during the
or absence of them in the body. intermediate seasons,
Over the centuries, these convictions or during other
permeated habits and daily living, phases of the year,
deeply affecting the style and practice the same way
of behavior across all social strata. as in life itself,
one was to tend
Based on this cosmological quaternity, toward temperate
the composition of nature was also modulated. nutrition, distancing
It applied to the organization of both from excesses and balancing
animate and inanimate objects, the four seasons the components.
of the year, the various phases of existence, These general guidelines directed
the four virtues, and so on. In the summer, the dietary rules prior to Conforti’s time.

58 59
 They were applied by physicians and largely The awareness of this, from a medical point
followed even at the popular level, as confirmed of view, does not indicate only properly
by the success and distribution of the regimina conducting an analysis of the product,
and tacuina sanitatis. but even more so, identifying that which
may be more or less suitable for the health
It was at the University of Padova, an academy of the patient based on his or her
and research center for physicians from personal constitution.
across Europe, where Conforti perfected
his awareness of Aristotelean physics, These brief observations lead to the idea
as applied to medicine, thanks to the brilliant that mordace wine, as described in the Libellus,
teachings of professors such as Girolamo was significantly different from what is grown
Mercuriale (1530-1606) and especially in Franciacorta or really any wine with bubbles.
Vincenzo Maggi (1498-1564). As such, it is not possible to track a direct
In particular, he realized that the reality foreshadowing of the production
of natureis revealed through the senses, of effervescent wines that are available
and that the two fundamental principles on today’s market.
of recognition are “hot” and “cold.” Interest in the “bitingness” of Conforti’s
The first creates a dilating action, making things fermentations began from a point of view
lighter and putting them into movement. that differed from our oenological one,
The second produces condensation, making and his vision of nature and medical focus
things heavy and contributing to their stagnation. was different too. What was important to him
The sun is, in its totality, hot, and the earth is cold. was not how to achieve a sparkling wine,
But the sun, like everything that burns, but whether the sparkling wine would be
is not just heat, and in the same way, beneficial or damaging to human health
the earth cannot exclusively be considered cold. based on its properties. The negative conclusion
Hot and cold are physical realities and demand that he reached, then, is the result of his
solid material elements to which they can attach, medical-scientific presumptions and initial
and their varying combinations create philosophies, lacking any absolute value.
the foundations of things along with This explains how experimental studies,
their humoral constitution. and later improved knowledge,
The difference in wines, therefore, arises from lead to evaluating these fermentations
the changing aggregation of elements and qualities. in a completely different manner.

60 61
 It would therefore be in error to deem It is no coincidence, then, that the treatise
his opposition to a spicy wine as a negation can be viewed in light with what
of the value in “sparkly” wines and the in the agronomy field was being done
possibility of using them for consumption. by other Brescian scholars, such as
Obviously, this was rejected by the market Agostino Gallo (1499-1570) or Camillo
and by consumers. All the same, comparing Tarello (1513-1573), who were also
his to the other agronomy treatises of great notoriety and intelligence.
of the same era, the text is, undoubtedly,
of great interest. Conforti’s reflections can be inserted,
Firstly, because it confirms the attention then, into a scientific-cultural humus
that was aimed at mordaci fermentations of significant intellectual vivacity,
during the Renaissance period, open to experimentation and the
and secondly because sparkling wines technically innovative empirical
found space, for the first time, trials in the field of vinification.
in a medical-dietary document,
confirming how its importance
actually grew even in the health sector.

62 63
A
64
THE CONTRIBUTIONS
OF AGOSTINO GALLO

Among the major players in Renaissance

agronomy, working from his Brescian pianura
holdings of Pompiano, Borgo Poncarale
and Manerbio, Agostino Gallo knew how
to marry the principles of traditional
agronomy with the more advanced
forms of experimental irrigated
agriculture in the Val Padana.
This is an indispensable factor to understand his
oenological thought process. It made him a point
of reference and, among the greatest European
authors of treatises on agronomy, he was able to
influence the entire agronomic system, following
the lead of the late medieval Pier de’ Crescenzi
(1233-1320) of Bologna. This is evidenced
by the later printings of his works, in fact sixteen
of them in the 1500s, and their reception
in France, where only very few foreign texts
were ever translated, thanks to the accurate
and multiple edited versions of the work done
by François de Belleforest (1530-1583).
It was Le dieci giornate della vera agricoltura,
e piaceri della villa, [The ten days of true
agriculture and the pleasures of the villa]

65
 appearing in Brescia in 1564 by the printer There are many themes associated with
Giovanni Battista Bozzola that made “true cultivation” by Brescian farmers.
Gallo a celebrity. This document outlines They range from the type of pianura
the activities of an agrarian holding and mountain fields to the rotation systems,
in a dialogical manner, separating them from the farmer’s work to farming practices
into distinct work “days” along with (plowing, harrowing, seeding, haying, threshing,
the benefits of living in the country. picking, harvesting, pruning, tilling, hoeing, etc.),
from raising dairy products to cereals and grains
The immediate success of the text brought to forage plants, from corn to rice, from silk
the work to a new edition and a revision which, worms to Garda citrus fields, from olive groves
for editorial reasons, was initially extended into to vineyards, from managing orchards a
thirteen days, Tredici giornate (Venice 1566), nd gardens to rural buildings and so on.
and the second edition was integrated with In the 1564 edition, the third day is entirely
an appendix of seven days (Venice 1569). dedicated to vineyard practices and the varieties
It was then distributed to printers in of grapes. It begins withthe botanical
a completely revised version in 1572 under description of the vine and its fruits,
the title The Twenty Days of Agriculture “soft, tender and in multiple pieces.”
and Pleasures of the Villa, Le venti giornate The terrains suitable for vineyards are examined,
dell’agricoltura et de’ piaceri della villa, along with the techniques for doing so,
a real work of art that offered agricultural the regional differences and the damaging habits
knowledge in a personal version. This version to be avoided. It also illustrates the practices
applauded the “true intelligence” of Brescians, of pruning, grafting, and fertilizing,
developed out of the hard work needed all the way to the nature of the grape most
to make the terrains fertile and harvest suitable for the Lombardy territory.
any type of fruit. It outlined the enjoyment Among the white grapes, in first position
of this occupation for the human spirit which, are the trebbiane, that create abundant wine,
in letting go of the “grand expectations” then the cropelle resulting in a gentile wine,
of the city, was able to better taste the schiave that mature before the others
“the true needs, the appreciated freedom, “making much fruit and gentile wine,”
with honest comforts and joyous deliciousness” the albamatte witha later maturation,
of the countryside and the ability to remain the bugarelle that develop into a “very soave”
at peace in rural tranquility. wine, and finally the bonimperghe.

66 67
 The text focuses on the types most suitable are extremely delicate and hold out until Carnevale
“in gardens for eating, for drying and Easter, while the brumestre nere are the last
and for making good drinks,” such as to mature, with long bunches and large grapes
the vernacce bianche that are “perfectly green that create a beautiful scene in gardens and can be
and dry and for making delicate beverages,” stored for many months. The white quality,
especially if grown hillside such as done perfect in hilly areas, is very delicate
in Cellatica and Limone. and can be easily maintained.
For table eating, there are the moscatelle bianche,
whose wine is excellent if given great exposure Finally, there is the marina nera, seedless
to sunlight, while the moscatelle nere and thus it took over for the eastern raisin.
are not as suitable for wine making It is eaten when mature or left to dry,
even though they are delicate on the palate. but it is not optimal for wine making
The alliane, with early maturation and ready because of its low alcohol content which
for harvest by the end of July are also makes its wine more suitable for those who
worthy of cultivation. The same degree are ill, such as for children and even for babies.
of sweetness is found in the malvasie bianche, Its cultivation is preferred up against farmhouse
“but their wine is far from the abundance walls, in orchard rows, within pergolas
of the eastern.” The duracine bianche or joined with trees. If left to dry, it is perfect in

68 69
70 71
 pasta fillings, in pie and cake fillings,
or to accompany red and white meats.
In dietary practice it is suggested for “lubricating
the body, settling the stomach and renewing taste.”

The fourth of the ten days is completely

devoted to the preparation of wine.
From harvest to cleaning wine containers, dark, acidic, alcoholic, and almost lackingin
the way to make wine under different regional any aroma and are damaging to health.
conditions to the cantinas for aging,
the techniques for transforming and handling Against the popular trend toward “full wines”
fermentations as well as sanitation and aging. and robust wines, a result of extended fermentation
Without going into the detailed explanations, in vats, there is the taste for clear, light and gentile
interest grew beginning even from the initial wines that are left to “boil” for just a short time.
observations on the phases of harvesting. These are considered by physicians to be healthier,
When harvesting grapes that are still not ripe, based on the medical-physical principles
there will be “extremely delicate wines.” and the relationship between
If the grapes are too ripe, the fermentation hot and cold, between the power
will develop with less flavor and complexity. of the flame, the volatility
Great care must be taken in separating grapes of the air, and the resistance
that are unripe, hardened, moldy, dried or gone of the water in determining
bad from those that are healthy, and ensure the quality of the more
that leaves, straw and other detritus is removed. digestible, balanced
The white varieties must be separated from and flavored fermentations.
the pinks, “the gentile grapesfrom the large,” For this reason, observed
and the sweet table grapes from the wine grapes. Gallo, “clear, red wines
But the fermentation process will illustrate are to be praised,
the difference between Italian wines as they resemble
and French wines,responding to tastes eastern rubies.”
that are more modern from those that are Their preparation
of Lombardy which, due to the longer had already entered
“boiling”of the pomace, they are turbid, into the oenological

72 73
 practices of the well-irrigated Lombard fields
which allowed the wines to better store and remain
“with much better color, with better taste
and with greater goodness.” Examples of this
new oenology, similar to French and Hungarian
wines, were the cisioli or sforzati, produced
in the Brescian countryside.

74 75
76 77
I
“IN VILLA” NOBLE
ASCENDANCY
“cisiolo,” compared by the Brescian agronomist
to the French “chiaretti,” appreciated on the tables
of the Lombard and Piemont aristocracy.
If significant vinicultural developments
were had through the selection of the varietals, This was a straw-colored wine, as suggested
identification of the most suitable sites by the etymology of the term cisiolo. It is obtained
and the import of specialized vines compared through the skinless fermentation of black grapes.
to those in earlier cultivation, then the advances This method was adopted to polish the larger
in wine making systems were just as important. production of red varieties into “potent” wines
This is as confirmed in the extraordinary which were more desirable and in fashion.
diversity of the fermentations, which are just The must remaining from the pressing of the grapes
as spectacular as those found in today’s winebars, by feet was immediately separated also by the feet
and in Gallo’s agrarian process. Among significant and left to “boil” for a short time.
oenological developments there was that of the It was then poured into oak barrels, reinforced
with iron bands and waterproofed on the outside
using animal fat. To block fermentation,

78 79
 the containers were submerged into cisterns curia treasury books, there is a list
full of water or left at the bottom of wells prior of the supplies of this product:
to being left to rest in the cantina. The result was the production zones, the quantities produced,
a pleasant and gentle wine, tending toward sweet, and the greater cost compared to common
but most of all effervescent and, because fermentations and reds in general.
of its amiability, very appreciated. Various barrels, numbered with the letters
of the alphabet, contained a significant
News on its wine making was furnished quantity of “cisiolo,” barreled in the cantinas
by Agostino Gallo, who explained that making of the Bishop of Brescia which was attached
the cisiolo allowed the fermentation to remain to the cathedral.
“fizzy for many months and as sweet”. They were identified according to the area
It lasted longer and grew “in goodness of provenance, that is, the vineyards
when the year had passed”. of the north-western boundaries of San Bartolomeo
This technique produced “a white wine and Sant’Eustachio, of Urago Mella, Collebeato
even though it was from black grapes, and Cellatica (but this is a detail limited
which remained sweet for the entire year, to the bishop holdings) and corresponded
as it was not allowed to boil”. to their different qualities, something that was
For this reason, he celebrated clear and brilliant already being done since the 13th century.
red wines which did not ferment for more Its commercial value was double that of the
than three or four days, the same custom common, or nostrano, red wine, and even
of the French who did not drink “if not clear wines”. with the negative opinion of the physicians
According to his explanation, which found who deemed it only slightly digestible
support in the treatise by Conforti, the practice if consumed prior to the end of spring
was not new among the Brescian farmers who, in that it was still cold, Gallo saw, thanks
for centuries, as noted in the archives from to his own personal experience, that it could
the twelve and thirteen hundreds, would sustain this contrary view in that these wines
produce similar to the clear French “the more they felt the heat the more
fermentations, so-called cisioli, which remained they became pleasing.”
“fizzy” or “biting” for many months.
In any case, his views on “fizzy” or “biting”
Among the earnings recorded in the Episcopalian wines, discussed and distributed by other
mess hall of Brescia, found in the Episcopalian later authors, represents the first scientific

80 81
82 83
84 85
 codification of a non-still wine (even if not
in a bottle), a type of fermentation that would
later enjoy huge success beginning in the
18th century, thanks to a French monk from
the San Pietro d’Hautvillers monastery.
The main argument in favor of the chiaretto
was obviously medical-dietary in nature.
This white wine was judged to be superior
to reds as it was more digestible, specifically
because it was clearer and lighter. These qualities
came from its shorter boiling, which tempered
the heat of the fermentation thanks to the cold
element, and due to the greater presence
of water starting with its cultivation on vines
in irrigated fields. There is one explanation
where it is easy to recognize Conforti’s
medical-dietary theories, although its results
on consumption were inconsequential.
The product was considered a status symbol
that, in reference to the TransAlpine fashion,
distinguished its noble consumers and their
lavish aristocratic tables.

For the gentleman who chose to live in a villa

in the country, Agostino Gallo, the expert
agronomist, suggested an elite beverage such
as the cisiolo, quite similar to the French chiaretto
and quite diverse from the common red wine
found on the tables of the padana [plains] farmers.
The treasures of Franciacorta offer deep roots
that sink into a land of choice and in the human
genius loci. From the historiographic point

86 87
 of view, it is not crucial to understand if they wine was being created, pleasant and straw-colored
come before or after those boasted by other that wasresistant over time and held in high regard.
European regions. It is, however, important This was thanks to the goodness of the lands
to be able to document an original oenological cultivated, the hills drenched in sunlight
tradition that, for sure since the 13th century, and the legendary micro climate.,
but most probably from much before, made it Even with all of the doubts listed by the oenologists
possible to easily produce sparkling and effervescent of our time and the different techniquesin use,
white wines which were more valued and desired this wine can beconsidered the most noble
compared to the wider distributed nostrani rubei, ancestor of Franciacorta.
adapted to represent the urban tastes of those
wanting to feel like nobles. It was on this solid
productive tradition, between the 15th and
16th centuries, that the French chiaretti became
a key player, and while it did not overtake
the habits found in the Brescia area,
it rather consolidated them, making them
in fact, a valid and competitive player
to celebrate noble society.

The mordace wine makes it possible to state

that prior to the trend of lighter fermentations,
in the manner of Gaul or Hungary, in Franciacorta
a wine was being created with similar properties:
the fruit of a refined oenological knowledge
and something that would pop and foam
upon opening. Because of this, it is not out of place,
nor lacking historical basis, to claim that prior
to the innovations occurringthrough fermentation
in bottles, it was on the Lombard hills,
and especially on those located between
theMella and Oglio rivers in Franciacorta,
that beginning in the middle ages, a “fizzy”

88 89
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92 93
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96 97
98 99
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by S. Blason Scarel, Manzano-Aquileia 2005, pp. 152-167 Ermini, Spoleto 2016 (De re monastica, 5), pp. 305-327

G. Ragazzi, C’era una volta il torchio. Tecnologia arcaica e memoria Idem, Vite e vino nel medioevo. Note storiche sul territorio bresciano,
in Valcamonica, Afterword by R. Conti, Gianico (Bs), 2006 in Capriolo. Le radici e il territorio, Brescia 2017, pp. 26-51

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2006, Spoleto 2007 (Research Weeks by the Italian Foundation We thank the Historical Funds and Archives Management of
Center on High Middle Ages Studies, LIV), pp. 1099-1209 Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Brescia for the collaboration
and kind concession of the texts.
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Avellana al tempo di Pier Damiani, in Fonte Avellana nel secolo
di Pier Damiani, in Records from the XXIX Convention of the
Avellaniti Research Center (Fonte Avellana, 29-31 August 2007),
edited by N. D’Acunto, San Pietro in Cariano (Vr) 2008, pp. 179-
211

Idem, “Plantavit quoque vineam”. La viticoltura bresciana nel

medioevo, in Storia dell’agricoltura bresciana, edited by M. Belfanti,
M. Taccolini, I, Brescia 2008, pp. 91-120

Idem, Intorno all’origine della Franciacorta, in D.G.R. Carugati,

Berlucchi 1961-2011. Sogno e realtà: Franco Ziliani, pioniere in
Franciacorta, Milano 2012, pp. 16-19
GABRIELE
ARCHETTI

Full Professor of Medieval History in the Faculty of Educational

Sciences of the Catholic University, he is president of the Center
for Lombard Studies, established by the Lombardy Region, and of
the Cogeme onlus Foundation; curator of the Piamarta Museum,
he is a member of numerous cultural and associative institutions,
scientific councils and editorial committees; he has developed
and directed editorial series and collaborated with various
historical science journals He is the author of approximately
500 publications including monographs, essays and scientific
contributions, focusing on the history of food, agriculture and
material culture, which have appeared in Italy and abroad.

Copyright
Consorzio Franciacorta
Via Giuseppe Verdi, 53
Erbusco - Brescia, Italy

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@franciacorta