Franciacorta is a hilly area about 100 kilometers from Milan. It is located between Brescia and the southern tip of Lake Iseo to the east, the Oglio River to the west, and is bounded to the north by the morainic hills and the Rhaetian Alps. It extends over the surface of twenty-one municipalities, in a territory once rich in woods. At the southern border of Franciacorta lies Monte Orfano.
The name Franciacorta
The origin of the name Franciacorta is not certain. The geographical definition dates back to 1429 when the boundaries of the territory were delineated, which still coincide with those provided by the Wine Production Regulations, which began in this area as early as the 16th century. At the end of the 1950s, the potential of the territory began to be exploited with the creation of wines for sparkling wine production. Subsequently, entrepreneurs and managers began buying land making the territory of Franciacorta atrue and proper oenological laboratory.
This group of pioneers earned the merit of investing in quality improvement. From the initial 50 hectares, it quickly increased to 550 and sales of Franciacorta Pinot exceeded one million bottles. In 1990, the voluntary Consortium was established and subsequently Franciacorta obtained the DOCG.
