i s t r y
The Ricci Curbastro family, with agricultural roots dating back to the 13th century, has always maintained a deep connection with Emilia-Romagna. As early as the 14th century, the Ricci Curbastro settled in Lugo di Romagna after being exiled from Florence during the wars between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. From Pietro, born in 1380, to the present day, eighteen generations have been dedicated to agriculture in Romagna and Franciacorta.
In 2000, driven by the desire to bring winemaking back to their land of origin, Gualberto and Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, together with Daria Costa, founded the Rontana Agricultural Estate in Brisighella. Their goal was to enhance the traditions and unique characteristics of a region that has always felt like home to them.
Our ancestors already travelled to these lands to select the finest grapes, recognizing the region’s winemaking potential even then. The Ricci Curbastro Archive still preserves letters from Lorenzo Ricci Curbastro to his daughter Marietta, in which he repeatedly instructed his estate managers between 1860 and 1870 to bring back grapes from the Brisighella hills after visiting the Emiliani Convent in Fognano, in order to produce their own wines.
Since 2017, thanks to the dedication of Gualberto and Filippo Ricci Curbastro, the Rontana Agricultural Estate has strengthened its growth, enhancing the unique qualities of the Romagna region while continuing a family tradition passed down through eighteen generations.
Today, sixteen hectares of land are dedicated to vineyards and apple orchards, situated atop the hills at an elevation between 420 and 450 meters. These lands overlook the Lamone Valley, with Brisighella and its fortresses on one side, and the Sintria Valley with the hills of the Vena del Gesso on the other. Located less than 20 kilometres from Faenza, the world capital of ceramics, and sixty kilometres north of Florence—accessible by crossing the Apennines via the Colla Pass.
Today, sixteen hectares of land are dedicated to vineyards and apple orchards, situated atop the hills at an elevation between 420 and 450 meters. These lands overlook the Lamone Valley, with Brisighella and its fortresses on one side, and the Sintria Valley with the hills of the Vena del Gesso on the other. Located less than 20 kilometres from Faenza, the world capital of ceramics, and sixty kilometres north of Florence—accessible by crossing the Apennines via the Colla Pass.