Foto Credits © Angelo Gabriele Mazzolla
Today we begin our journey to discover the land of Basilicata right from Pietragalla, the town and area that has hosted our mill for more than forty years now.
Pietragalla
Pietragalla is a town of around 4,000 inhabitants located east of the regional capital, Potenza. Its name derives from two words: Pietra (stone), because the town is said to have been founded on rock, and Galla, from the Greek “gal”, meaning white or light-coloured stone, or from the late Latin “gallandus”, meaning fortified.
The beauty of Pietragalla can be discovered in its historic centre, rich in alleys and arches that climb up to the highest point of the town, dominated by the imposing bell tower.
Pietragalla arose as a feudal-type settlement and as such is dominated by the castle, today's Palazzo Ducale a symbol of political power, and by the Chiesa Madre, a symbol of religious power.
The Palazzo Ducale
Regarding the origins of Palazzo Ducale, it's important not to overlook the monastic influence that characterised southern Italy from the 7th to the 8th century, including from an architectural point of view.
On a carved stone dating back to 1654, found inside the Chiesa Madre, there is a reference to the community of San Basilio. After the earthquake of 4 December 1456 that razed the village of Casalaspro and part of the town of Pietragalla to the ground, only a few traces remained of the original structure (which is thought to have included a small Basilian monastery and a modest castle).
In place of the castle, from the early 1500s, the construction of the Palazzo Ducale began – carried out by Neapolitan craftsmen – which over time would undergo renovations and additions, eventually taking on its current form, striking for its grandeur and architectural complexity.
The village that developed around the Palazzo Ducale was fortified, and the layout of the walls clearly marked the boundaries that are still defined by today's historic centre.
The Palmenti Urban Park
The small town of Pietragalla is characterised by the Palmenti Park: a complex of “caves” dating back to around the first half of the 19th century, visible at the entrance to the town and resembling rural dwellings. The palmento is a structure that represents a singular example of rural architecture, the work of Pietragalla winegrowers, unique in Basilicata and perhaps in Europe for how they are clustered together. An enchanting landscape approach, born from a grouping of palmenti perfectly in harmony with the surrounding territory.
Here, until the late 1960s, grape treading and must fermentation took place, but even today some families make wine in the palmenti, having taken care over time to preserve the structure and the vats carved into the tuff, keeping alive the history, culture and memory of rural farming life.
Foto Credits © Angelo Gabriele Mazzolla
The inside of the palmento has two or four separate vats (where there are four vats, two were for red wine and two for white wine). Grapes harvested from the surrounding vineyards and transported by donkey in tubs were poured into the smaller, higher vat and trodden barefoot. The must, through a hole, fell into the vat below, where the grape clusters were also collected.
Above the entrance to the palmento, a narrow opening allowed the escape of carbon dioxide, lethal to humans, which was generated after treading, during fermentation. After fifteen to twenty days of fermentation, the wine – drawn off and put into 35-litre barrels – was stored in handcrafted wooden barrels, placed in the equally characteristic caves of the historic centre, most of them facing north.
Now all that's left is to begin your journey to discover the wonders of Pietragalla. We'll be waiting for you!
