A 650 years long history…
The first crops present in what is now known as Oltrepo Pavese were introduced by the Ligurian, who gathered here cereals and grapes.
Vines were already present in the period between the end of the Bronze and early Iron Age: the evidence is the considerable amount of grape seeds found in archaeological excavations that have unearthed the remains of dwellings of the period. The first agricultural settlement in the land TORRAZZETTA was built by Messrs Ruino della Rocca, Rocca Susella feudal lords of the early thirteenth century, in 1336 they commuted part of their feud with the approval of the Bishop of Tortona, obtaining agricultural funds between the streams Coppa and Schizzola, and on a small hill they built an artifact, where now stands the characteristic village of TORRAZZETTA.
In the early seventeenth century, the place was bought by the noble Giacomo Cattaneo of Milan and in 1636 joined the Cattaneo, Giovanni Battista Paleari, belonging to another noble family of Milan, formerly feudal owner of the nearby Torrazza Coasts and there resident.
They were responsible for an initial restructuring of TORRAZZETTA and for a significant increase in population. The territory of TORRAZZETTA reached its greatest extention under the ownership of the Marquis Ademaro Serra, who bought it in 1894 and annexed it the farm Torre Bianchina, where he built the colonic house, and Barco, a hill overlooking TORRAZZETTA.
After First World War, which changed the socio-economic conditions across Europe, a farmorganized under the nineteenth century laws of economics could no longer hold: the property was so divided and purchased from farmers who cultivate their possessions.
The bulk of agricultural land in TORRAZZETTA (29 hectares) was acquired in 1934 by the Fiori family, farmers since generations, who under the guidance of cav Carlo, father of the actual owner, Ing. Franco, turned the main cereal address expanding the area cultivated with fruit trees but especially with vineyards.
That was when a capacious cellar, able to completely transform the grapes produced on the farm was built.
But in 1984, TORRAZZETTA underwent another radical conversion. The big change that began in those years has also affected agriculture: the sensitivity of Franco and his wife Gianna to issues such as land conservation, defense of the environment, protection of consumer health, the continuation of a peasant culture full of traditions and knowledge concerning production techniques and food preservation has led the farm TORRAZZETTA to practicing organic farming and agriturismo.
The farm structures have been retrieved, transformed and expanded over the years to accommodate increasing numbers of visitors, leaving unchanged the needs of farm production. Several rooms for catering, rooms for meetings and business meetings and a growing number of bedrooms have been obtained.