Farm holidays in Lombardy, northern Italy

Offering farm holidays in Lombardy, northern Italy, this 'agriturismo' is a terrific blend of traditional wine making, a farm museum, relaxing vacation accommodation and a chance to enjoy the superb countryside.

The subterranean cellar for fermentation and subsequent slow maturation of Franciacorta D.O.C.G wines is located beneath the huge park containing the family home, Villa Evelina. The villa was planned in the second half of the 19th century by the famous Brescian architect Antonio Tagliaferri. Traditional farming hospitality and a joy in welcoming people means visitors are provided with a guided tour to the Museo Agricolo e del Vino Ricci Curbastro, unique in Franciacorta, where the Villa outbuildings house thousands of objects recalling the farming activities of older times. A visit to the property would not be complete without a tasting of Franciacorta D.O.C.G. wines produced by the farm. The tasting is conducted in a large hall which is also used for meetings, conventions, exhibitions and concerts.

The company also offers farm holidays with the possibility of staying in an old farmhouse divided into apartments so that Capriolo becomes a destination for tourists, an occasion for enjoying and rediscovering a rural world that has long been forgotten.

There is also the Farm Museum, opened in July 1986, and the result of over 30 years searching and collecting by Gualberto Ricci Curbastro, owner of the company. It now exhibits a broad collection of the tools used in the past by peasant farmers to cultivate the fields and vineyards, equipment to produce wine, and utensils needed in their domestic life.

Continuously added to by the Ricci Curbastro family, the Museum now exhibits more than three thousand pieces in four rooms divided by theme. The vine, wine, and barrel-building, (including a large collection of presses and old corking devices) in a part of the cellar. Farming equipment, carts, instruments used in veterinary surgery and for animal care are housed appropriately in the old stables. The hay-loft is the place for household chores: the kitchen, spinning, and crafts such as shoe-making and wrought-iron works.

In a fourth room, used also for exhibitions and conferences, glass showcases illustrate many fields of farm activity: children’s games, instruments for measuring and the analysis of wine, grazing, dairy activities, silkworm husbandry, and spinning. The library boasts more than a thousand texts on agricultural history.

[ View on Google Map | map of Lombardy ]

Around Capriolo there are many tourist attractions and entertainment for visitors to the holiday farm or ‘agriturismo’. Lake Iseo is only 5km away and the Franciacorta Golf Club 6km. There are many opportunities for horse riding, mountain biking and simple walks. Visitors who appreciate fine cuisine will love the many fine restaurants in the vicinity. The whole of Franciacorta is rich in history and nature: see for example the Parco Naturale delle Torbiere del Lago d’Iseo (wetland sanctuary). It’s also an ideal base for visiting cities of art such as Brescia (25km), Bergamo (24km), Cremona (60km), Milan (75km), or the wonderful cities in the nearby Veneto, easily reached by train, or by car.