Franciacorta

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The territory of Franciacorta is a section of the Province of Brescia in the Italian Region of Lombardy. Franciacorta extends north from the plain of the Po to the shores of Lake Iseo, and from the Oglio River on the western border to the town of Cellatica in the east. The geography of rolling hills was shaped by glacial action. The soil, glacial moraines consisting of gravel and sand over limestone, drains well, and is ideal for the cultivation of grapes and winemaking. The weather is mild and constant due to its location south of the foothills of the Alps and the tempering presence of large lakes. To publicize wine tourism, the district established in 2001 a Strada del Vino Franciacorta on the model of the famed German Weinstraße.

The area has been inhabited since Paleolithic times, with archaeological records left by Gauls— the Cenomanes of Brixia (modern Brescia), Romans and Lombards. The name Franciacorta, attested in 1277, is thought to derive from curtes francae, the fortified courts of the Frankish empire established in the 8th century.

There is a Cluniac foundation, the Abbazia di San Nicola, at Rodengo, which has been inhabited by Olivetan monks since 1446. Other places of interest include Passirano, with an interesting castle, and Provaglio d'Iseo, with a Romanesque church