Museo del vino (Torgiano)
Encyclopedia
The Wine Museum of Torgiano
(Umbria
, Italy
) is a private museum, specialized and completely dedicated to the culture of wine
.
Located in an area of wine production, the museum was founded by the wine producers Giorgio Lungarotti and his wife Maria Grazia Marchetti in 1974 and is run, together with the Olive and oil Museum
, by the Lungarotti Foundation, which promotes studies, cultural events and exhibitions aimed at enhancing the wine and olive oil
economy.
Through its archaeological, ethnographic and arts collections, the museum provides information on the role of wine in western culture where wine has always been highly valued not only for its energetic and strengthening properties but also as a cultural product.
The first room explains the Middle-East roots of viticulture and how it reached the Mediterranean basin, through several pieces of archaeology from the Bronze Age
to the late-ancient era, with particular attention to Etruscan culture. Among the items on display, there is the lip cup attributed to Phrynos Painter
, one of the Little masters
.
Rooms 2 to 8 show viticulture techniques used in Umbria. Many working tools well illustrate the yearly wine cycle and traditional techniques. A varied section also illustrates places and ways of wine consumption. The basement is home to a large room dedicated to winemaking, with large presses, distillers, a bottling machine and other objects. Room 6 shows how Vin Santo
is made.
The itinerary follows illustrating crafts related to wine (coopers, smiths etc.) and a large collection of tools.
Room 8 describes regulation about harvesting-time, usage and trade of wine, to pass to local handicraft and viniculture in rooms 9 and 10.
Rooms 11 to 15 are dedicated to pottery, with a rich collection of ceramics coming from the most prestigious pottery-producing regions of Italy. The collection of pottery is arranged according to the following thematic division: “wine as food” (measures, bottles, etc.), “wine as a medicine” (jars, mortars, pharmaceutical containers, books, etc.) and finally “wine and mythology” (symbolic and story-telling decorations mainly related to Dionysos/Bacchus, including works by Mastro Giorgio Andreoli
and Girolamo della Robbia
).
Room 16 boasts the largest existing collection of irons for wafer, in Umbria usually served with Vin Santo .
Room 17 hosts a rich collection of engravings and sketches, made of about 600 pieces concerning dionysian scenes with pictures by authors like Mantegna
, Piranesi, Picasso.
Room 18 is dedicated to ex libris
.
The visit ends in room 19 where fiction and non-fiction ancient books about wine are exposed.
Torgiano
Torgiano is a comune in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 10 km southeast of Perugia.Torgiano borders the following municipalities: Bastia Umbra, Bettona, Deruta, Perugia.- History :...
(Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
) is a private museum, specialized and completely dedicated to the culture of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
.
Located in an area of wine production, the museum was founded by the wine producers Giorgio Lungarotti and his wife Maria Grazia Marchetti in 1974 and is run, together with the Olive and oil Museum
Museo dell'olivo e dell'olio
The Museo dell'olivo e dell'olio is a private museum located in Torgiano specialized in olive oil and olive culture and knowledge...
, by the Lungarotti Foundation, which promotes studies, cultural events and exhibitions aimed at enhancing the wine and olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
economy.
Through its archaeological, ethnographic and arts collections, the museum provides information on the role of wine in western culture where wine has always been highly valued not only for its energetic and strengthening properties but also as a cultural product.
The collections
The collection is arranged in thematic areas. "In each room a number of fine and often rare objects illustrate a particular subject area, suggesting connections with other themes that enrich the overall picture" .The first room explains the Middle-East roots of viticulture and how it reached the Mediterranean basin, through several pieces of archaeology from the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
to the late-ancient era, with particular attention to Etruscan culture. Among the items on display, there is the lip cup attributed to Phrynos Painter
Phrynos
Phrynos was a Greek potter, active in Athens, circa 560-545 BC. He is one of the so-called Little masters.Three signed Lip cups by him are known:*Boston, Museum of Fine Arts Inv. 03.855*London, British Museum Inv. 1867.5-8.962...
, one of the Little masters
Little Masters (Greek vase painting)
The Little masters were a group of potters and vase painters in the Attic black-figure style of the sixth century BC, active in Athens.They mainly produced Little-master cups, but were not entirely limited to such shapes.The group...
.
Rooms 2 to 8 show viticulture techniques used in Umbria. Many working tools well illustrate the yearly wine cycle and traditional techniques. A varied section also illustrates places and ways of wine consumption. The basement is home to a large room dedicated to winemaking, with large presses, distillers, a bottling machine and other objects. Room 6 shows how Vin Santo
Vin santo
Vin Santo or Vino Santo is a style of Italian dessert wine. Traditional in Tuscany, these wines are often made from white grape varieties such as Trebbiano and Malvasia, though Sangiovese may be used to produce a rosé style known as Occhio di Pernice or eye of the partridge...
is made.
The itinerary follows illustrating crafts related to wine (coopers, smiths etc.) and a large collection of tools.
Room 8 describes regulation about harvesting-time, usage and trade of wine, to pass to local handicraft and viniculture in rooms 9 and 10.
Rooms 11 to 15 are dedicated to pottery, with a rich collection of ceramics coming from the most prestigious pottery-producing regions of Italy. The collection of pottery is arranged according to the following thematic division: “wine as food” (measures, bottles, etc.), “wine as a medicine” (jars, mortars, pharmaceutical containers, books, etc.) and finally “wine and mythology” (symbolic and story-telling decorations mainly related to Dionysos/Bacchus, including works by Mastro Giorgio Andreoli
Giorgio Andreoli
Giorgio Andreoli, named also Mastro Giorgio Andreoli or Mastro Giorgio, was born between 1465 and 1470 in Intra, on the Lake Maggiore, and died in Gubbio, where he spent most of his life, in 1555. He is considered to be the most important potter of the Italian Renaissance...
and Girolamo della Robbia
Girolamo della Robbia
Girolamo della Robbia, was an Italian potter, the youngest son of Andrea della Robbia, together with his brother Luke were among the most active collaborators in the family workshop.-Biography:...
).
Room 16 boasts the largest existing collection of irons for wafer, in Umbria usually served with Vin Santo .
Room 17 hosts a rich collection of engravings and sketches, made of about 600 pieces concerning dionysian scenes with pictures by authors like Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna
Andrea Mantegna was an Italian painter, a student of Roman archeology, and son in law of Jacopo Bellini. Like other artists of the time, Mantegna experimented with perspective, e.g., by lowering the horizon in order to create a sense of greater monumentality...
, Piranesi, Picasso.
Room 18 is dedicated to ex libris
Ex Libris
Ex Libris is a Latin phrase, meaning literally, "from the books". It is often used to indicate ownership of a book, as in "from the books of..." or from the library of...Ex Libris may also refer to:...
.
The visit ends in room 19 where fiction and non-fiction ancient books about wine are exposed.