I watch the twilight, the mornings over Rome, over Ciocaria, over the world
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Where we are
Colli, a small village in the heart of ciociaria
The map of Ciociaria is a multifaceted and imaginative literary map with vaguely blurred boundaries. A crossroads of peoples collecting the legacy of the Volscians, the Ernici and the Equi, Ciociaria in a historical-geographical sense stretches from the Albani Hills to the Aurunci Mountains, from the Abruzzo Apennines to the sea.
Our land is located in Colli, a small hamlet nestled on the “hills” of the medieval village of Monte San Giovanni Campano (Frosinone), 450 meters above sea level. The hamlet takes its name from the various hills that make it up, on each of which a cluster of dwellings takes place.
A thousand-year history
At the beginning of the 2nd millennium there was a monastic community in the Canneto area, also visited by Alexander III around 1130, which included the same church, still standing today, built on the remains of older buildings. It belonged first to the Charterhouse of Trisulti and then to the Lucernari counts until a few decades ago.
The same ruin from which the Monticiana Winery adventure started was used, until a few decades ago, as a dwelling for the keepers of the Count of the Skylights. We like to think that in this rocky atmosphere full of life, the family accounts rested in the shade of a centuries-old olive tree or savored a good glass of wine, the ancestor of our “Cesanese” and “Colle di Josa.”
AN IDEAL CLIMATE
Cantina Monticiana’s vineyard and olive grove are located close to the Amaseno stream, a few kilometers from its confluence with the Liri River, as well as a short distance from the historic border between the Papal States and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
Thanks to the warm and mild local climate and the proximity of the small creek, which provides natural drainage for the soil, the vines grow luxuriantly and provide perfect grapes for our wines. The excellent sun exposure of our plants complements this balanced harmony.
Some call Ciociaria the new Tuscany. Here the winds from the Roveto Valley intersect with those from the Abruzzo National Park (Lazio side); the protection of the mountains to the north, the southern exposure, the altitude, the slightly steep slopes of the fields and the oscillating soils made of molasses, limestone and rich in tuff all contribute to making this area of vineyards and olive groves a unique and spectacular environment.
THE "CIOCIA"
Ciociaria takes its name from an ancient form of footwear widely used by farmers and shepherds throughout southern Lazio: the ciocia, in fact. Worn indifferently by men and women, the ciocia consists of a wide leather sole with a raised toe in front, kept tight to the foot with strings and turned thirteen times around the leg. The leg is traditionally covered up to the knee by a piece of white cloth (so-called “pezze”) that completely wraps around the foot, ankle and calf.
The origins of ciocia are very old: the term derives from the Latin soccus or socculus, a form of sandalwood popular among the Romans, which-in one particular form-was widely used by farmers and shepherds because it was sturdier and stronger. In fact, while flexible, the ciocie were well anchored to the leg and adapted to all terrains, leaving great freedom of movement in work.
