How history breeds quality

1028	Deacon Gerardo of the clergy of S.Martin, owner of the still unoccupied lands at Fornello, bequeaths them to an aristocratic family from Piacenza.
c.1200	First rural settlements.
c.1300	A kiln is built to bake lime from nearby Calcinara, whose name comes from the Latin calcina, meaning lime, now the site of some of the estate vineyards, and also to bake bricks coming from the neighbouring village of Creta. This shows that the hills around here were the site of a flourishing building activity, which gave the name to the place, Fornello meaning "small kiln".
c.1400	Around this time, on the Fornello estate owned by the Sanseverino, princes of Naples, a big tower ("torre" in Italian) is build as a defence against enemy attacks, hence the name of Torre Fornello.
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c.1600	The estate is bought by the Zanardi Landi family, counts and military commanders from Sarmato. Two lateral wings are built at the sides of the main tower and a botanic garden of rare beauty, unusual in this area, is created. The building thus becomes a country house for the family, who were in residence mainly at harvest time, during the months of August, September and October. It is interesting to note that on these hills winegrowing had been going on for centuries.
1862	Donna Luigia Scotti Douglas, descendant of a noble Scottish family and widow of Count Zanardi Landi, grand duke of Tuscany, bequeaths the estate to her daughter. The will lists the following items with great accuracy: "… manor-house, private chapel, tenants' houses, stables, farmhouses, cellars with vats, wine tubs, casks and sundries". In her will, Donna Luigia demands that the estate should never be split up, and that is why it came down whole to the present owner, including the vineyards. It is fascinating to notice how each parcel of land had its own name, which is still in use today.
1972	The whole of the estate goes to the Sgorbati family, winemakers of tradition from the surrounding area.
since 1991	In 1991 Enrico Sgorbati, son of Giuseppe and Fernanda, takes over winegrowing and in 1998 he starts making high-quality wines in the old manor-house, now entirely restored.
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The Stars, the Legend