Villa San Carlo

Villa San Carlo 1H New Heritage

For us, natural and cultural heritage, which has been handed down through generations as a reminder of the past, is irreplaceable and priceless.

NEW HERITAGE 1H stems not only from the need for new strategic corporate logistics, but also and especially from the desire to protect and disseminate this heritage. We also believe it is extremely important to develop the wealth that the Valpolicella PDO wine valley has to offer in terms of culture, landscape, vine cultivation and wine production.

NEW HERITAGE 1H is a wide-ranging project aimed at providing information on and promoting the products that come from our land, our wines and oils, and from the area where we grew up.

We talk about history, focus on the present and look to the future.

The village, why has Montorio entered history?

Facing the sunset, from the top of Mount Martinelli, the Villa San Carlo Estate looks out onto the village of Montorio. Located just a few kilometres east of Verona, Montorio Veronese is a pre-Roman village that features the ruins of an imposing castle and a real treasure, i.e. water. The Romans had realised how important water was and channelled it into an aqueduct that served the entire settlement of Verona. Today, the springs and “ditches” are still its most valuable and remarkable feature.

Castello del paese di Montorio tra la nebbia visto dalla tenuta Villa San Carlo

It would not be implausible to think that Dante, in more recent times, who was likely staying at the summer residence of the Scaligeri family in Montorio, drew inspiration from the Montorio springs when he wrote:

We crossed the circle to the other bank near
to a fount that boils, and pours itself
along a gully that runs out of it

canto VII of the Inferno, The Divine Comedy (vv. 100-102).

The most recent remnants of a prosperous past – in which man and nature had established a mutually respectful and supportive relationship – are the canals, mills and factories.

The Location, why a historical industrial site?

The new 1000-square-metre facility, comprising offices, a logistics centre, a wine shop and a large tasting room, embodies our philosophy. In fact, it is an integral part of an industrial archaeological site dating back to the 1920s, which will soon be functionally converted and enhanced as part of several redevelopment projects.

The project involves the restoration of some of the buildings in the “Ex Sapel” area, a valuable industrial archaeology site built in the mid-19th century on the original mill sites, which housed a major manufacturing complex for spinning wool. It was the ideal location for this type of business due to its abundance of running water. Its “production centre” status is the reason why the village of Montorio is known as the “Manchester of Italy”.

In the early 1900s, the Montorio plant was the old headquarters of one of the leading spinning mills in Italy in the 20th century.
In the 1940s, it was taken over by the Sapel company of the Lanerossi group. The plants remained in operation until 1985, when it was finally closed down.

The Wine Shop and tasting room

In September 2020, knowing that we wanted to be active locally, we opened our wine shop in order to be able to reconnect with the urban fabric as part of a broader social project.

The area dedicated to Villa San Carlo is an integral part of the industrial complex. In addition to retaining all its original elements, it features cast iron columns, a wooden ceiling with bays, and brickwork and natural stone sections. We divided the operational spaces using glass and steel structures, and we then added wooden and weathering steel furniture.

The 70-square-metre tasting room can seat up to 30 people. With its unique and innovative design, this room is made entirely of wood in order to resemble a large barrel. On one side are large windows overlooking the Villa San Carlo estate, while on the other side, a huge glass window allows guests to take a look inside the logistics centre, which has a New York-style open-plan layout.

Our services and initiatives

The premises of our new location are designed and laid out in such a way that they can be used for hosting all kinds of events. Ideal for courses and workshops on the world of wine and much more, for show cooking sessions that will allow you to find out the best food and wine pairings, as well as meetings and cultural exchanges.

The large tasting room has all the services you need to hold private and professional events in absolute safety and with peace of mind: a coffee area, a catering service, Wi-Fi, a 70-inch TV, and integrated Wi-Fi Full Internet suitable for both PC and Apple computers.

We are currently working on a new events programme. Follow our news and social media channels to keep up to date.
For information and bookings, please contact us at: Tel. +39 045.9237753   info@villasancarlo.wine